Onnoghen: Lawyers Shut Down Courts in Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, Ondo …Partial compliance mars NBA protest in Ilorin

 

…Suspension of CJN a slap on democracy, says Babatope

Lawyers in Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers and Ondo States on Tuesday complied fully with the directive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to its members to boycott the courts in protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

This is coming as lawyers in Ilorin,  Kwara State capital, on Tuesday partially complied with the directive of NBA for them to boycott court proceedings in protest against the controversial suspension of  Onnoghen.

Also, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the party's Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, on Tuesday described the suspension of Onnoghen as a slap on democracy and the rule of law.

The compliance in Bayelsa State made it impossible for judges to treat any cases, leading to the early shutdown of the courts.

Members of the NBA executives were seen monitoring the compliance at the state high courts as well as the federal high court in Onopa area of Yenagoa.

Chairman of Sagbama branch of NBA, Dise Ogbise-Ehisere, said lawyers in the two branches of NBA in the state  complied with the directive of the national leadership of NBA.

He said: “We complied with the directive of National Executive Council (NEC) of NBA fully in Bayelsa State yesterday being the first day and we shall continue on Wednesday.

“No court sat today in the two branches of NBA in the state because we set up a monitoring committee that went round all the courts.

“The feedback is that compliance was total, I was at the NEC when the decision to boycott the court was taken and I just came back to ensure compliance.

“After today, if the CJN is not reinstated, we shall await further directives from the national leadership of NBA.”

In compliance with the directives of NBA, lawyers in Rivers State also boycotted court proceedings but embarked on a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt on Tuesday over the suspension of Onnoghen by the federal government.

The lawyers from the eight branches of the NBA in the state marched to Magistrate Court, State High Court, Federal High Court, National industrial Court and Appeal Court in Port Harcourt.

They stated that while they would not encourage any acts of corruption by judicial officers, the federal government should follow constitutional procedures in the allegations against Onnoghen.

Addressing journalists during the protest, the Chairman of Port Harcourt branch of NBA, Mr. Sylvester Adaka, said the action of the association is not about tribe or politics, but about ensuring that the procedures and processes set out by the constitution are adhered to.

 Adaka said: "We are all aware of the events that have been unfolding in the last few weeks concerning Onnoghen, who ended up being unconstitutionally suspended from office.

"And what we say is that procedure should be followed. That's all. We are not in any way condoning corruption: what we are doing is not about the CJN. It is not about tribe, politics or whatever; it is about saving out democracy, it is about rule of law. It is about ensuring that procedure and processes set out by the constitution is adhered to."

Another lawyer, Barinua Wifa (SAN), also stated that the suspension of Onneghen was a trial on the country's democracy.

He said the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend Onnoghen and appoint Justice Tanko Mohammed was hasty and did not follow the constitution of the country.

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Faye Dikio, also called on the National Assembly to rise up and correct the mistakes made by Buhari in the suspension of Onnoghen.

 Dikio said: "There is confusion; confusion in the sense that the constitution is not adhered to. What the president is doing is unconstitutional.

 "So, it is definitely into confusion that we are heading to. We pray to God that this issue will be corrected, and he might not be able capable to correcting it. The National Assembly should rise up and correct it."

 Meanwhile, lawyers in their hundreds defied the early morning rains and took to the streets of Calabar, Cross River State, yesterday in protest against the suspension of Onnoghen.

The lawyers from the Calabar, Ogoja, and Ikom branches of the NBA in the state who boycotted the courts in the state in compliance with the directives of its national secretariat, assembled at the premises of the high court from where they marched to the Government House in Calabar where they lodged their protest with government.

The lawyers condemned the suspension of the CJN, and called on President Buhari to reinstate him immediately.

They also condemned the actions of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, saying he was not occupying the position rightfully.

The lawyers also faulted the ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), which President Buhari relied upon to suspend Onnoghen, saying it was an abuse of court process. 

The communiqué read by the Vice Chairman of the Calabar branch of the NBA, Mr. Julius Idiege, stated in part that: “We condemn in the strongest term and wholly reject the unconstitutional suspension of Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen , Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by President Buhari, vide a black market ex parte order issued by the CCT.

“We are horrified that the Justice Tanko Mohammed submitted himself to be sworn in as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, thereby subscribing to this abuse of the constitution. We strongly advise his lordship to retrace his steps, decline any further pretentions to the office of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, and apologise to the legal community and the Nigerian people.”

 

Meanwhile, lawyers in Ondo State also boycotted the courts yesterday in compliance with the NBA directive.

When some courts in Akure, the state capital, were visited, there were no lawyers at Magistrate courts at Oke eda, High Court, Federal High court, National Industrial Court and Court of Appeal all located in Akure.

 It was also gathered that no court proceedings at magistrate and high courts in Owo, Ondo town, Ikare-Akoko, Ore and Okitipupa due to the decision of the NBA members.

The Akure branch Chairman of the association, Mr Ola Dan-Olawale, who led his executive officers to ensure compliance, said any lawyer who violated the directive would be sanctioned appropriately.

Dan-Olawale said if President Buhari refused to reverse the suspension of Onnoghen after the two days court boycott, the bar would take further stiffer actions.

Also, lawyers in Ilorin yesterday partially complied with the directive of NBA to boycott court proceedings in protests against the controversial suspension of Onnoghen.

Chairman of the Ilorin NBA, Muhmmed Akande, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin yesterday attributed the partial success of the boycott to the fact that the Heads of Courts had not been formally communicated with the decision of the NBA.

He said officials of the local branch who attended the emergency NEC meeting of the body only returned to base yesterday.

Akande expressed confidence that the boycott would be more effective today as the Chief Judge of the state and others would have been properly put on notice.

According to him, “There was partial compliance; not full because really some members were not aware, so we tried our best to enforce it."

He stated that "the problem was that I was at the NEC meeting yesterday where the decision was made, and I just have to rush down and get back to the office.

“The Heads of Courts are not aware so I have to call the Chief Judge of the state and some other Heads of Courts. You know we have to communicate them officially with the decision of NEC.

"I just came with the official position for the attention of the Heads of Courts. So by today there will be total compliance.”

In another development, a chieftain of the PDP and member of the party's BoT, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, yesterday described the suspension of Onnoghen as a slap on democracy and the rule of law.

Babatope, who stated this in a statement yesterday, contended that all Nigerians should rise to condemn the authoritarian approach of President Buhari who he said has turned democratic rule to a military dictatorship.

According to him, President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government are making frantic efforts to disenfranchise Nigerians by rigging the presidential election ahead of February 16 unchallenged.

President Buhari recently swore in the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko, to replace Onnoghen, pending final determination of the cases against him.

 

The statesman therefore urged every well-meaning Nigerian to defend democracy by kicking against the unholy war being stage-managed by President Buhari by appointing an acting CJN without following due process and constitutional requirements.

The former Transport and Aviation Minister remarked that  President Buhari has lost his credibility among the committee of nations following the outright condemnation of the suspension of  Onnoghen by the  United Kingdom and United States of America.

This, he noted, was a clear indication that President Buhari is sending a wrong signal to the whole world that he will not give Nigerians a free, fair and credible election in the coming general election.