CJN’s prosecution shows no one is above the law – Sagay SAN

The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against
Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), says the prosecution of the
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, shows that no
one is above the law.

Sagay told our correspondent during an interview that although
the prosecution of the CJN was saddening, it showed that Nigeria
was slowly becoming a nation of laws.

The senior advocate also responded to the arraignment of the
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN),
which took place last year.

The PACAC chairman said, “It shows that in Nigeria nobody is
above the law. I do not rejoice either am I pleased that such high
officials are being probed or investigated but it shows that in
Nigeria the law is working and that the rule of law operates and
that no one is higher than the law.

“That is the good aspect of it. Otherwise, I am not happy about
it but if the reason arises why they should be investigated or
invited and they are invited, it shows that the Nigerian legal
system is working and that the rule of law operates but if it is
you or I, you know that automatically we will be indicted but when
the bigger guns in the country who have all the power are also
being indicted, it means it is a good sign for the rule of law in
Nigeria.”

When reminded of the fact that the CJN will be arraigned before
Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal who has also been
accused of corruption, Sagay said the Federal Government had no
other option.

He said, “I see a point. It is a sad reflection on the state of
corruption in Nigeria but I think at the end of the day, everybody
will come to justice and we will have a clean slate. This is the
best we can do now.

“He (Umar) is the one on the seat, he has not been removed. So,
there is no other choice as long as he is there. It is not perfect
but we must not miss the essential principle of this matter and
that is that in Nigeria the rule of law operates.”