FG’s harassment of CJN, unacceptable attack on judiciary — Ortom

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, on Sunday said the attempt
by the Federal Government to force the Chief Justice of Nigeria
(CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen to resign or be removed was
unacceptable.

Ortom described the action of the federal government against the
CJN as not only a deliberate ploy to gag the judiciary but
harassment to the person of Justice Onnoghen.

In a statement signed his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase
and made available to our correspondent in Makurdi, the governor
added, “We join Nigerians of good conscience to condemn and reject
the attempt by Federal Government to force the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen to resign or be removed.

“We consider the move as a deliberate ploy to intimidate and gag
the judiciary. It is also in gross violation of the principle of
separation of powers.

“The manner in which the Federal Government is plotting to
remove the CJN by rushing charges against him to the Code of
Conduct Tribunal and leaking the charges to the press at a weekend
is suspicious, smacks of desperation and lacks regard for due
process.”

Ortom therefore urged all Nigerians to resist what he called the
unwarranted assault on the country’s judiciary and save democracy
from the hands of its enemies.

He also noted that it was now clear that after unsuccessful
attempts to intimidate the National Assembly, the same undemocratic
forces have turned their attacks on the Judiciary, adding that,
“this is a clarion call on men and women of goodwill to condemn the
move aimed at suppressing the judicial arm of government.”

The governor contended that due process and the rule of law must
be seen to be in operation in the country as he posited that if
Justice Onnoghen is guilty of the charges filed against him, it was
the duty of the courts to determine not the federal government or
its agents.

“The Federal Government has apparently chosen to ignore the
provisions of extant laws and judicial process which hold that
either the National Judicial Council or the National Assembly must
play a role in the removal of the CJN. The President is expected to
act on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the
Senate.

“The decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
administration to flout this well established procedure further
reveals their agenda to weaken the Nigeria’s democratic
institutions ahead of this year’s general election.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to respect the principle
of separation of powers and pave way for the rule of law, so as not
to throw the country into constitutional crisis,” Ortom
maintained.