CJN yet to use office seven months after – TheNigerialawyer

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, has been
operating from his chambers instead of his designated office since
January 2019 when he became the acting CJN, SUNDAY
PUNCH reports^[1].

He continues to operate from ‘Chambers 1’, his old office as a
justice of the Supreme Court, despite his swearing in by President
Muhammadu Buhari as the substantive CJN on July 24.

Our correspondent visited the CJN’s wing at the sprawling
Supreme Court complex in Abuja on Thursday, and found out the place
had been deserted since Justice Muhammad assumed office as the
acting CJN on January 25, 2019.

President Buhari swore in Justice Muhammad as the acting CJN on
the same day he controversially suspended the immediate-past CJN,
Justice Walter Onnoghen, based on an ex parte order of the Code of
Conduct Tribunal that has been discredited by the Court of
Appeal.

The police on January 28, 2019, the first work day after
Onnoghen’s suspension, sealed off the CJN’s office and other
adjoining ones, ejecting administrative staff.

The move was seen as pre-empting any possibility of Onnoghen
accessing the office after his suspension.

Justice Muhammad continued to operate from his chambers as the
acting CJN even after his first three months of acting was renewed
for another three months by the National Judicial Council upon
Buhari’s request in April.

He has remained in his chambers after his inauguration as the
substantive CJN on July 24, 2019.

Following enquiries by our correspondent on Thursday, private
security operatives around the axis of the CJN’s office said it was
under renovation.

Our correspondent could, however, not observe any renovation
activities going on at the deserted axis on Thursday.

The Supreme Court’s Director of Press and Information, Dr Festus
Akande, told our correspondent on Friday that Justice Muhammad
would start occupying the CJN’s office at the beginning of the new
legal year of the court later in September.

Akande said, “You know that the office has not been used for
some time. So there is the need to carry out some renovation on the
office.

“But I can assure you that the honourable CJN will move to his
office as the new legal year begins later this month.”

The new legal year ceremony of the Supreme Court will hold later
in September during which 38 lawyers, including the Solicitor
General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry
of Justice, Mr Dayo Apata, and a Lagos lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu
Adegboruwa, will be confirmed with the coveted rank of Senior
Advocate of Nigeria.