Onnoghen: Crisis looms in NBA Executive Committee as President, General Secretary disowns VP
Alhaji Isiaka Olagunju
Crisis seems to be brewing in the Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association as the General Secretary of the Association Alhaji Isiaka Olagunju on behalf of the President of the Association , A B Mahmoud SAN has issued a strong worded notice disassociating the Executive Committee from the an earlier comment by the 2nd Vice President Monday Ubani Esq.
The VP was reported to have advocated that the confirmation of Onnoghen, a southerner is the equitable thing to do as the Northern part of the country have produced past CJNs in successive partern. The VP nevertheless agreed that all past CJNs was on merit basis and that such merit should be extended to the Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Acting CJN.
VP Monday Ubani
Mr Ubani was reported to have said among other things in a phone in radio programme in Lagos;
“For 29 years, the CJN emerged from a particular region. It was all on merit, nobody had an issue with it. It eventually came to the point of a southerner producing the CJN and for the first time you now put him in an incapacity that raises eyebrows. Why? After the National Judicial Council has even gone ahead and cleared him and all that.”
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It appear that the position of the VP who himself is a southerner was not well received by other members of the Executive Committee hence the official denouncement.
Below is the notice issued today by the General Secretary of the Association.
NBA exonerates herself from the looming story ‘Why North can’t produce another CJN”
The attention of leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association led by Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud OON, SAN has been drawn to the statement being circulated in the social media titled ” “Why north can’t produce another CJN by NBA VP” made by the 2nd Vice President of NBA, Monday Ubani Esq.
The Nigerian Bar Association disassociates itself completely from the statement allegedly made by its 2nd vice president as it does not represent the position of the Bar on the appointment of Chief Justice of Nigeria.
It is on record that on Wednesday the 25th January 2017 the president of NBA led a delegation of selected Bar Leaders to the offices of acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Onoghen and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN where the president reiterated the need for urgent ratification of the appointment of Hon.Justice Walter Onoghen as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria being the most senior and most qualified Justice of the Supreme Court after rigorous process and not because he is from Crossrivers State of Nigeria.
The president therefore enjoins all Nigerians especially Legal Practitioners to desist from ethnicisation of Judiciary appointment as it is capable of sending wrong signal which may be misunderstood by the public.
Dated 31st January 2017.
Isiaka Abiola Olagunju Esq
General Secretary
Nigerian Bar Association
NBA House
Muhamodu Buhari Way
Central Area
Abuja
The reaction of NBA Gen Sec, Mr. Olagunji, is vague and therefore, meaningless. If Justice Onoghen is qualified and most senior, what is the reason for President not sending his name to Senate for confirmation? If there’s issue against that, he should be bypassed, recommended for retirement, for suspension and prosecution.
The suspense game is generating negative heat in the judiciary and polity. Therefore, NBA 2nd VP, Barr Ubani, is very right in his comment on radio.
The reaction of NBA Gen Sec, Mr. Olagunji, is vague and therefore, meaningless. If Justice Onoghen is qualified and most senior, what is the reason for President not sending his name to Senate for confirmation? If there’s issue against that, he should be bypassed, recommend for retirement, for suspension and prosecution.
The suspense game is generating negative heat in the judiciary and polity. Therefore, NBA 2nd VP, Barr Ubani, is very right in his comment on radio.
Failure to confirm Onneghen without reason have casted doubt on the true federalism.
It will be most unfortunate if justice in Nigeria will also be politicised among the ethnic groups – West, north, East and South South.
The much talked about precedent has lost glory in Nigeria legal system and practice.
we should be the original, not fake. The confirmation of justice Onoghen as the cjn should not be politiced because it is on merit. To do otherwise would relegate the prestigious legal profession to group of learned people with unfortunate tomato sellers who cannot see beyond their noses.
Everything is not politics my brothers.
JJ
It will be most unfortunate if justice in Nigeria will also be politicised among the ethnic groups – West, north, East and South South.
The much talked about precedent has lost glory in Nigeria legal system and practice.
we should be the original, not fake.
JJ