Onnoghen’s Saga And The Memory Of January, 2019: Is Enough Not Yet Enough?! By: Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.

The month of January, 2019 is important and memorable in the
life and history of Nigerians. It is memorable in the history of
the Nigerian judiciary. It is memorable in the history of the
Nigerian Bar Association.

It is memorable in the history of the Code of Conducts Bureau
and Tribunal. It is memorable in the history of the court’s system.
It is memorable in the history of the National Judicial Council of
Nigeria. And it is memorable in the history of Nigerian government
as a whole. Furthermore, there are many events that made the month
of January, 2019, very important and memorable for the yet to come
generation. The month of January, 2019 was the month in which the
Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria-herein after referred to as the
CJN- and Chairman of the National Judicial Council was alleged to
have failed to declare some of his assets according to the Code of
Conducts for Public Officers contained in the Constitution.

It was the month in which more than 40 Seniors Advocate of
Nigeria and almost a hundred of other non-Seniors Advocates of
Nigeria lawyers stood to defend the CJN on the alleged breach of
Code of Conducts. It was the month in which the Federal High Court
of Nigeria and the National Industrial Court of Nigeria granted
different Orders stopping the Code of Conducts Tribunal from its
hearing of the charges against the CJN. It was the month in which
the Cde of Conduct Tribunal-herein after referred to as the CCT-
was reported to have granted an Order Ex-parte, suspending the CJN.
It was the month in which the President was reported to have relied
on the Order of the CCT to suspend the CJN. It was the month in
which the President appointed the most Senior Justice of the
Supreme Court of Nigeria as the Acting-CJN and Acting Chairman of
the National Judicial Council.

It was the month in which the Nigerian Bar Association through
its National Executive Committee issued a resolution for lawyers in
Nigeria to boycott Courts across Nigeria for just two days as
solidarity for the judiciary and to show dissatisfaction of the bar
against the President (the executive) for suspending the CJN
unlawfully. It was the month in which both the NJC and the Acting
CJN were excluded from the NJC meeting at the same time. It was the
month in which the NJC served the CJN and the Acting CJN petitions
filed against each of them for their response within 7 days of
receiving the petitions from the NJC.

It was the month in which Court of Appeal of Nigeria had to
deliver judgments at different occasions but in relation to the
Onnoghen’s saga, among other important and memorable events in the
month. All these having been said, the question this paper is
asking is whether we as Nigerians; the politicians; the
sentimentalists; the lawyers, and other critiques in one way or the
other are not done yet, considering what this Country-Nigeria- has
been thrown into within the shortest time in the month of January,
2019? Or to also put it, whether all these events which in my view,
have to be enough are not yet enough for orderliness, peace and
progress to re-emerge or glamour the nation, while allowing the
whole issues to be properly directed?

In my humble view, I am of the submission that Nigeria has had
enough of embarrassment from the Onnoghen’s saga. Also, it is
important for me to state that were the situations not to have been
well managed, this country was almost lead into chaos and
disorderliness and that is why a stakeholder’s meeting and or
deliberation across the Federation is hereby suggested to carry out
an analytical study of the entire saga and to recommend needs for
further actions especially to prevent this occurrence.

I further advise that all persons should stay calm but step
aside all these issues and enable the court of law to resolve the
issues in one way or the other. Therefore, I advise the Nigerian
Bar Association, Non-governmental institutions or bodies, other
politically interested persons, etc., to please stay calm but step
aside and allow the CJN to deal with the matter in collaboration
with his lawyers who are representing him according to law within
the judicial functions.

Also, I suggest everyone to analyse the entire saga and proffer
solutions for preempting any of this kind of situation in Nigeria,
for it almost collapsed the country’s image and structures.

Also, I advise every person involved in this case to maintain
rule of law and respect for democracy.

Finally, I pray and wish that this situation will never be felt
and not to be experienced in Nigeria again. Nevertheless, it is my
prayers that God Almighty bless us all in Nigeria! God bless the
Nigerian leadership, God bless the citizens of Nigeria and God
bless and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

e-mail: hameed_ajibola@yahoo.com^[1]