CCT Trial: Onnoghen owns only 5 houses, not 55 – Ex-CCB Director testifies

A retired Director at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr Awal
Yakassai, on Thursday, testified as for the second prosecution
witness, PW-2, in the ongoing trial of the suspended Chief Justice
of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who is facing trial over
his alleged failure to declare his assets.

Yakassai told the Mr Danladi Umar led a three-man panel of the
Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, that contrary to what was alleged in
the media, he said the suspended CJN owned only five houses.

He said it was not true that CCB investigators linked the
ownership of 55 houses to the defendant.

The witness made the disclosure after he was shown copies of
Justice Onnoghen’s asset declaration forms, which the Federal
Government tendered in evidence before the CCT.

The embattled CJN was said to have submitted the forms marked as
Exhibit 2 and 3, to the CCB in 2014 and 2015.

Answering questions under cross-examination, the PW-2, told the
tribunal that he served at the CCB for 29 years before he retired
in April 2018.

He said the CCB was yet to verify Justice Onnoghen’s assets with
a view to finding out if he made false declarations.

Holding the two documents in his hand while responding to a
question from Onnoghen’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the
witness said: “My lord, according to exhibit 2 and 3, the defendant
has only five buildings and not 55”.

Awomolo noted that one of the five buildings was given to the
defendant by the federal government itself.

Continuing his testimony, the witness, told the tribunal that
verification columns on Onnoghen’s two asset declaration forms were
still empty.

He said: “As indicated here, the column for verified assets have
not been signed as at today” he added, saying it was standard
practice at the CCB that returned asset declaration forms must pass
through three stages of verification.

“My lord we have three stages of verification, the first is at
the time of submission of forms, the second is what we called
conference verification whereby we invite the person. And the third
is physical verification of the assets.

“Until these three stages are completed, we cannot say that the
assets have been verified”.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the CCB, Danladi Umar, had earlier
threatened to give 28 years jail term to journalists that
misrepresent proceedings on the CJN’s trial,

Umar, who said he was displeased about “the distortion and
misrepresentation” of what transpired at the tribunal last Monday
by a section of the media, warned that he would henceforth wield
his powers against journalists.

“Henceforth, any journalist carrying concocted or discredited
statement which is not adduced before this tribunal, I will not
hesitate to bring the full weight of the law heavily on the
person.

“The journalist will languish there and may remain there (in
prison) until I retire about 28 years from now.

“The person will be summarily sent to prison because that is
contempt.

“It does not matter whether the contempt is committed in facie
curiae (before the court) or ex facie curiae (outside the court)”,
he fumed.

The CCT boss has given FG’s lawyer, Mr Aliyu Umar, the nod to
call a second witness to give evidence against the suspended CJN
who is answering to a six-count charge.

Aside allegation that he failed to declare his assets as
prescribed by the law, FG had in the charge marked CCT/ABJ/01/19,
FG, alleged that Onnoghen operated five foreign bank accounts,
contrary to section 15(2) of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal
Act.

FG had insisted that it was the CCB that okayed Onnoghen’s trial
based on certain infractions that were discovered in his asset
declaration forms.

Youths Give INEC 14 days Ultimatum to Issue Certificate
of Return to Okorocha

Youths under the aegis of Northern Youths Council of Nigeria
(NYCN) have given the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) 14 days ultimatum to issue Anayo Rochas Okorocha his
Certificate of Return or face their wrath.

The NYCN in a statement signed by its National President,
Comrade Isah Abubakar and made available to PRNigeria in Abuja
noted that it was unconstitutional and against the electoral Act as
amended for INEC to refuse the issuance of Certificate of Return to
Rochas Okorocha after his declaration as the winner by the
returning officer.

The statement reads in part:

We demand that; as a matter of urgency the commission should
without any further delay Present the certificate of return of the
Senator elect in person of Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha to him to
avoid the breach of the constitution

That INEC has no Constitutional right to withhold any
certificate of return of any individual that has been pronounce
elected and returned by the returning Officer, as only the tribunal
can hear electoral matter and offences, meanwhile it’s only a
competent court of jurisdiction that have such powers to deny any
individual either returned or otherwise.

That failure of the commission to present to the winner of the
23rd February election his certificate of return in person of
Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha within 14 working days will attract a
massive protest from the youth at the headquarters of the
commission Abuja.

We wish to categorically state that our citizens will not sit
and watch institutions like INEC being bastardized by some few
individuals at the detriment of our hard-earned democracy.

That INEC has failed woefully as they have chosen to hearken to
the voice of their paymasters and deep pocket individuals to the
detriment of Nigerians who have spoken though their votes by
throwing the country into their so-called inconclusive
elections.

That INEC leadership has taken it upon themselves to sabotage
our hard-earned democracy by frustrating the electoral process to
suit some individual interest at the detriment of our Nation and
making mockery of our Nation.

Comrade Isah Abubakar
National President,
Nortrhern Youth Council of Nigeria(NYCN)