On Tuesday January 29, 2019, the National Judicial Council (NJC) rose from its emergency meeting to announce that it is given Nigeria’s embattle Chief Justice (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, and the acting CJN Tanko Mohammed 7 days to respond to the weighty allegations against them.
As we all know by now, the controversies per Onnoghen, is pursuant to his alleged criminal breach of the Code of Conduct rules by not disclosing assets running into the multiple millions of dollars; and the controversies for acting CJN Mohammed, is for allowing himself to be sworn-in, contrary to the constitutional requirement for vetting by the NJC, and also per pending petitions about Mohammed’s breach of the Code of Conduct rules for failure to declare his assets as well.
We are All Stakeholders in This Matter
As a recent presidential aspirant in Nigeria’s upcoming 2019 presidential elections, and as a person with international public service and global governance experience, I have previously noted that our lives begin to end the day we begin to keep silent about the things that matter. The rule of law is so intrinsically tied to democracy as we know it, that one without the other is an exercise in futility.
However, the rubber meets the road when the very guardians, custodians, and interpreters of the law, have directly and indirectly compromised their commitment and oath to uphold the law impartially, by lining their pockets, while perverting the sacred halls of justice.
As a result of the above, Nigeria may have unfortunately been steered toward a route where “Justice” can be bought or sold to the highest bidder. This would be corruption in the highest order, and should be checked with absolute ferocity.
An Opportunity We Should Not Miss
The unprecedented opportunity in our hands, pursuant to these very weighty matters of potentially corrupt judges holding our fate in their hands, should cause us to frontally assault the judiciary, within the ambits of the law, in order to restore our faith in the Judiciary.
The admitted facts in this matter, including the CJN’s acquiescence that he actually did not conform to the constitutional requirements to declare assets of such value as he has, already portends that there is serious trouble in the land.
As a current and future stakeholder in the public service of Nigeria, it is my fervent hope that the inquiries from the NJC be extended to all Judges in Nigeria, in order to begin the arduous process of sanitizing the new Nigeria, which we all hope to inherit.
Anything less than a full inquiry in the ranks of the Judiciary will be like washing our hands before a meal, then dipping them back into a filthy pond before we eat; that will not be acceptable to any Nigerian. We must seize this opportunity to sanitize the entire Judiciary, or forever bow our heads in shame. We must do the right thing.
The Author Hon. Okey Samuel Mbonu is a Strategic Advisor, Attorney and recent Presidential Aspirant in Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Elections. Mbonu earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence-Law from Washington, DC. He writes from Abuja, FCT.
Statement Released by Charles Adeyinka, Senior Media Adviser to Hon. Okey Samuel Mbonu & Mbonu’019. Email:[email protected]