Onnoghen stands to get N2.5bn benefits in ‘soft landing’ option

If President Muhammadu Buhari goes by the recommendation of the
National Judicial Council (NJC), Walter Onnoghen, the chief justice
of Nigeria (CJN) could get retirement benefits in cash and kind up
to N2.5 billion, checks by TheCable have revealed.

As part of the package for a retired chief justice, a house will
be built for him in Abuja with a nine-digit sum for furnishing — in
addition to a severance gratuity that is 300% of his annual basic
salary of N3,363,972.50, as well as pension for life.

Just like state governors, a retired chief justice is entitled
to a number of domestic staff and sundry allowances for personal
upkeep.

This package for judicial officers was put together by the NJC
long before Onnoghen became the CJN in 2017.

However, if he is dismissed, he will not be entitled to any
benefits.

Recall on Wednesday that the NJC has recommended the embattled
CJN for compulsory retirement after deliberating on a petition by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which alleges
“financial impropriety, infidelity to the constitution and other
economic and financial crimes related laws”.

Onnoghen, who denies all allegations, is also undergoing trial
at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over charges of false asset
declaration.

Our reporter understands that members of the NJC were not
convinced by his defence but also decided that he should be offered
a “soft landing” through retirement.

This option may also include withdrawing criminal charges
against him.

“The major problem Onnoghen’s defence had was that even though
he claimed those funds found in his accounts were his, he could not
provide evidence on how he made the money,” a source in the know of
the deliberations told TheCable.

“He provided evidence of source of income from one investment
but that went nowhere near the $200,000 per annum deposits in his
account. Unfortunately, there is a supreme court judgement that
says where your assets exceed your income, the burden of proof is
on you, not on the prosecution.

“It also did not help Onnoghen that he never touched his salary
account for so many years. He said he was living off the proceeds
from his farms, but he did not provide a single proof to back this
up.

“Also, money paid into his account by senior lawyers is
completely unethical. You can say they do not amount to much, but
you cannot justify such impunity. It was a very difficult case to
make.”

NOT THAT EASY

Presidency sources, however, told TheCable that the option of
“soft landing” will be difficult to justify “given the
anti-corruption efforts of President Buhari”.

TheCable learnt that before the scandal blew into the open,
Onnoghen was given the option of early voluntary retirement.

“Under this arrangement, he would have kept all the monies found
in his accounts and received all his benefits from the system, but
he chose to fight till the very end,” the source said.

“The implication now is that the criminal charges may go on, his
assets will be frozen and will most likely be forfeited to the
federal government after his trial and he will be banned from
holding public office for at least 10 years.”

Onnoghen has closed his defence at the CCT and the tribunal is
expected to give its judgment at the next sitting on April 15.

But for the crisis, Onnoghen, who is 68, was due for retirement
in 2020.