National Judicial Council issued Suspended CJN, Onnoghen 7 days Notice

The National Judicial Council, NJC, yesterday waded into the crisis rocking the judiciary, by directing suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, to respond to corruption allegations against him within seven working days.

Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen
NJC, which is the organ of the judiciary responsible for Appointments, Promotions and Discipline of Judicial Officers, also gave the Acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad, the same number of days to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for submitting himself to be sworn-in by President Muhammadu Buhari as Onnoghen’s replacement.

In essence, the duo have till Thursday, February 7, 2019, or nine days from today to respond.
The legal body took the decision at the end of an emergency meeting it held in Abuja over last Friday’s suspension of the CJN by President Buhari.
Specifically, the NJC, directed Onnoghen to respond to a petition lodged against him by Mr. Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civil Education.
It was learned that the petitioner is accusing Onnoghen of being in possession of funds and properties that are way beyond his legitimate earnings.

On the other hand, NJC asked the Acting CJN, Justice Muhammad, to respond to two separate petitions entered against him by a group, the Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative, and a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.
Agbakoba had in his petition urged the NJC to determine the propriety of Justice Muhammad accepting to be sworn-in by the President in place of the suspended CJN, despite being aware of the implication of his conduct.

According to Agbakoba, by submitting himself to the President to be sworn-in as acting CJN, Justice Muhammad lent himself to constitutional infraction by the executive arm of government.
He recalled that Justice Muhammad was a member of the panel that sanctioned Justice Obisike Orji of Abia State for allowing himself to be sworn-in as Abia State Chief Judge by the state’s governor without recourse to the NJC.

NJC to send petition against CCT chair to FJSC
Consequently, Agbakoba, accused the Acting CJN of engaging in an act of judicial misconduct.
Meantime, the NJC, in a statement by its Director of Information, Mr. Soji Oye, said it would forward another petition filed against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Mr. Danladi Umar, to the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC.
The CCT Chairman had on January 23, issued the ex-parte order President Buhari relied upon to suspend Onnoghen, after which he and swore in Muhammad.
A group under the platform of Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative, had urged the NJC to sanction the CCT boss for engaging in “reckless abuse” of his judicial powers.
However, the Council said the FJSC was the appropriate constitutional body empowered to deal with issues the petitioner raised against the CCT Chairman.
In a reports gathered by VoiceAirMedia confirmed that suspended CJN, Onnoghen and new CJN, Muhammad get copies of petitions against them.