Onnoghen: Rivers Lawyers Protest In Federal High Court

Members of the eight branches of the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA) in Rivers State Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the
Federal High Court complex in Port Harcourt over the suspension of
the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President
Muhammadu Buhari.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of NBA had at its
emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday directed lawyers across the
federation to embark on a two-day boycott of all courts.

Speaking to newsmen during the protest, a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN), Faye Dikio, called on the National Assembly to rise
up and correct the mistakes made by Buhari in the suspension of
Onnoghen.

Dikio said: “There is confusion; confusion in the sense that the
Constitution is not adhered to. What the President is doing is
unconstitutional.

“So, it is definitely into confusion we are heading to. We pray
to God that this issue will be corrected and he is not capable of
correcting it. The National Assembly should rise up and correct
it.”

Speaking also, Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Sylvester
Adaka, said the action of the association is not about tribe or
politics, but about ensuring the procedures and processes set out
by the Constitution are adhered to.

Adaka said: “We are all aware of the events that have been u
folding in the last few weeks concerning the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who ended up being
unconstitutionally suspended from office.

“The Nigerian Bar Association, National Executive Committee, had
its emergency meeting yesterday in Abuja. And rising from that
meeting, it was resolved that lawyers all over the country should
boycott all the courts for two days. It is a warning boycott for
two days to press home our demand that whatever the Federal
Government wants to do with the CJN’s issue must be done within the
ambits of the law. It should be done constitutionally.

“They should remember that we have that we have three
independent arms of government, the judiciary, the legislature and
the executive. And none of the arms has the right to lord it over
the other two arms. And if there be need to discipline, remove or
suspend the head of any of the three arms, there is a
constitutional provision as to how it should be done.

“And what we say is that that procedure should be followed.
That’s all. We are not in anyway condoning corruption: what we are
doing is not about the CJN. It is not about tribe, politics or
whatever; it is about saving out democracy, it is about rule of
law. It is about ensuring that procedure and processes set out by
the Constitution is adhered to.”

NDA to Establish Driving School for Cadets

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), has disclosed it is
formalizing plans to establish a driving school in Kaduna. This was
revealed by the Commandant NDA, Major General A Oyebade, during a
courtesy visit by Zonal Commanding Officer, Federal Road Safety
Corps, Kaduna Zone, Assistant Corps Mashal Ayobami Omiyale in
Afaka.

General Oyebade said the driving school will be primarily to
train cadets in the rudiments, theory and practical knowledge of
driving.

The Commandant, who commended FRSC for the tremendous impact it
has made in forestalling safety of lives and property on our roads,
also praised the partnership between the two institutions.

Earlier, the Zonal Commanding Officer while stating his purpose
of visit said he came to pay homage to the commandant and to
appreciate the synergy between FRSC and NDA. He applauded the
Commandant for instilling discipline and learning in the cadets
urging him to maintain the high standard NDA is known for.

Abubakar Abdullahi

Major

Academy Public Relations Officer