Not long ago, President Muhammadu Buhari, suspended the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, over issues relating to Justice Onnoghen's assets declaration forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
President Buhari based his actions on the order of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justic Danladi Umar. A sizable number of Nigerians at home and abroad have condemned the President's action, they argue that his action did not follow the rule of law and due process. Interestingly, a section of the political class applaud the action of the President while another section maintain that Justice Onnoghen' suspension was politically motivated. In this interview the Founder, Spiritual head and Grand Imam of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the Federal Government should start building strong institutions and not strong individuals who are above the law.
Excerpts :
What is your reaction to the suspension of the Chef Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen ?
Nigeria is the most unfortunate country where all equations have defied the natural rules of law and conservation of matters, which has always plunged the country into a state of disequilibrium.
Leaders do not respect the people that give them the mandate and the people also lack the culture of respecting our leaders.
Under these circumstances, the tripodal stand of Democracy viz-a-viz the Legislature, Judiciary and Executive, suffer from a non-aligned centroid or centre of gravity.
The three arms of government do not cooperate in the quest to functionally operate for accelerated development, where cohesion is lacking, Chinua Achebe's ''Things Fall Apart'' becomes a point of reference.
In developed countries, where there is integrity, immediately a public officer has been discovered to have abused the office he occupys, by not going through due process to attain it, resignation should follow.
The constitution may not specifically talk about suspension, but by implication, it must have addressed the areas of possible executive intervention.
More so, when the President insisted that he acted on the order of the Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The major problem we are having in Nigeria is ignorance, due to the disturbing mass low level of education, where the majority of the people do not have direct access to the rights of the people, constitutionally or otherwise.
This has made the few governing us or those in positions of influence and affluence to kill people perpetually in a state of darkness, prompting them to pass judgement on issues that are intricate with bogus demand for explanation.
If an ordinary man had been trapped under such an allegation, the case would have been that of the passage of a silent judgement.
If the executive is not in the good books of the Legislature and the Judiciary, based on the antecedents of the records, sentiments would now be the only option for the masses on such issues like this.
When the culture of integrity is restored, we will stop hiding under the constitution which we all agreed is faulty ab intio because it was the import of the military Oligarchy in Nigeria.
Why is it taking us so long a period to overhaul or amend the constitution, as appropriate, to be able to offer good governance ?
The whole scenario starting with the dismissal of the motion of the Chief Justice at the Appeal court, the clearance of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal(CCT) of corruption allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), which is not a court of law, the petitions against the CJN, Acting CJN and the Chairman of the CCT presently before the National Judicial Commission(NJC) and the queries it has issued to the CJN and Acting CJN, while that of the Chairman of the CCT has been referred to the Federal Judicial Service Commission, portends that justice is now in the theatre of politics.
What is most important to Nigeria, is that we need to discourage the building of strong and powerful individuals, who are above the law, but focus on building strong institutions that will easily create a balance of justice system between the rich and the poor, using the tool of Corporate Governance Perception Index, that will make management, administration and governance to follow the due process of accountability and transparency.
The focus should be on the individual person brought to justice, no matter how highly placed such an individual might be, just like any common man would have been dealt with, without raising eyebrows.
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