BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday surprised ardent critics of his administration by accepting the voluntary retirement from service of Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria, effective May 28, 2019.
The Presidential approval is coming about two months after the former CJN wrote a letter of voluntary retirement from the public service of Nigeria.
Justice Onnoghen’s letter was submitted to the President in April following the National Judicial Council (NJC)’s investigation and eventual submission of its recommendations to the President on a petition bordering on abuse of office and improper assets declaration by the former CJN.
Amidst heightened tension and preparations for the 2019 general elections, Justice Onnoghen was summarily put on trial for false assets declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in what the opposition and critics of government alleged were insidious plans by the executive to compromise the judiciary over the eventual constitution of the various elections Tribunal.
But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed on Sunday in Abuja that Justice Onnoghen’s retirement has been accepted by President Buhari.
In a terse statement, the Presidential spokesman said; “President Buhari has accepted the voluntary retirement from service of Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria, effective from May 28, 2019.”
According to him, “The president thanked Justice Onnoghen for his service to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wished him the best of retirement life.”
In January this year, there was heightened tension when the CCT gave an ‘exparte’ order which the President acted on to suspend Justice Onnoghen from office over his trial.
Trouble for the former CJN began when a civil rights group filed a petition at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) alleging gross abuse of office and non-declaration of assets against him
The petitioners claimed that Justice Onnoghen had several accounts primarily funded through cash deposits made personally up to August 10, 2016, even as they further alleged the lodgments were made in manner not consistent with financial transparency and extant code of conduct for public officials.
Though Onnoghen was absent when the trial began on January 14, 2019, the CCT proceeded with the case and ultimately convicted him of false assets declaration.
In its ruling, the Tribunal ordered that the former CJN should not only be removed from office, but also barred from holding public office for the next 10 years.
Born on the December 22, 1950 at Okurike Town, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen had his primary school education at the Presbyterian Primary School, Okurike Town between 1959 and 1965.
From there, he proceeded to Accra, Ghana, obtaining his West African Examination Council (WAEC) O-Level certificate from Odorgonno Senior High School between 1967 and 1972, and his WAEC (A-Levels) at Accra Academy between 1972 and 1974. He graduated from the University of Ghana at Legon, Ghana in 1977 and attended the Nigerian Law School in Lagos in 1978.
In a professional career spanning over three decades, Justice Onnoghen had a stint with the Ministry of Justice, Ikeja, Lagos State between 1978 and 1979, as the Pupil State Counsel.
After quitting the Ministry of Justice, he was in partnership with the Law firm of Effiom Ekong & Company, Calabar between 1979 and 1988. He later became the Principal Partner/Head of Chamber of Walter Onnoghen & Associates, Calabar from 1988 to 1989.
Before rising to become Nigeria’s Chief Justice,Actnoghen, as a High Court Judge of Cross River Judiciary, was appointed Chairman of Cross River State Armed Robbery and Firm Arms Tribunal, a position he held for three (3) years between 1990 and 1993.
In 1996 while still serving as a High Court Judge in Cross River, he also served as the Chairman, Judicial Panel of Enquiry into the Crisis between Students of the University of Calabar and Obufa Esuk Orok Community in Calabar.
Two years later in 1998, he was made the Chairman, Failed Banks Tribunal, Ibadan Zone. From 1998 to 2005, he served as the Justice of the Court of Appeal.
In February 2016, Justice Onnoghen led a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court that reviewed and upheld the death sentence of Chukwuemeka Ezeugo (aka Reverend King) of the Christian Praying Assembly.
Also, Justice Onnoghen played a prominent role in the 2007 general elections that ushered in Late Umaru Yar’adua as President of Nigeria. Against all odds, he produced a dissenting minority judgment that annulled the presidential poll for not complying substantially with the guidelines as contained in the Electoral Act.
After being nominated as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, he was confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 2017, and thereafter sworn in on March 7, 2017
In another development, President Buhari has written the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, on the appointment of additional five Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Mallam Shehu said the President’s letter was; ‘‘Pursuant to the provisions of Section 230(2) A & B of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),”
The letter said; “I am pleased to request that you initiate in earnest the process of appointing additional five Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria to make the full complement of 21 Justices as provided by the aforementioned provisions of the Constitution.
“This is in line with the Government’s Agenda of repositioning the Judiciary in general and Supreme Court in particular for greater efficiency, with a view to reducing the backlogs of appeals pending at the Supreme Court.
“Please accept, your Lordship, the assurances of my highest regards.”
