The National Action/Pastoral Committee of the
Charismatic Renewal Ministries (CRM) on Wednesday condemned the alleged plot by the
federal government to remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter
Onnoghen, on flimsy charges, describing it as a political decor to rig the
forthcoming general election, even as it stated that the timing of the charges
is wrong.
In a two-page statement read by the General
Overseer of CRM, Pastor Cosmas Ilechukwu, at the end of a three-day CRM
National Annual Retreat at the church headquarters in Owerri, Imo State, the
group also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to
maintain the position of an unbiased umpire by words and actions as well as listen
to the cry of concerned Nigerians as it concerns the position given to one of
its staff, Mrs. Amina Zakari.
Ilechukwu, who is also the Vice President of the Pentecostal
Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Southeast, stated that the ‘indecent’ haste with
which the petition and subsequent arraignment of Onnoghen were conducted
appeared to point to some political undertone, adding: “This action is capable
of intimidating the judiciary, which is not only the last hope of the common
man but also has a crucial role to play in safeguarding our fragile democracy.
“While we are not dabbling into the substance of
the case against Onnoghen, the meeting condemns the timing of the exercise. It
is difficult not to impute political motives into it.”
He enjoined every Nigerian to exercise his or her
civil right to choose the leaders that would transform the country in the
forthcoming general election, reminding INEC and security agencies to discharge
their duties honourably by resisting every temptation to be compromised.
According to him, “INEC should maintain the
position of an unbiased umpire. It should do so not just in words, it should be
seen to be doing so by action. This is why the outcry against the position
given to one of its top officials, Amina Zakari, who is said to be related to President
Mohammadu Buhari, also a candidate in the election, should be handled with
every sense of responsibility. The debate of whether she is a niece or not does
not arise here since there is an established close relationship between them.
INEC should do the needful, not just in this case but at all times to safeguard
the integrity of the election.”
On war against the press and protection of
fundamental human rights, the meeting expressed dismay on the attempt to
intimidate the media and the opposition by government agencies, as evidenced in
the recent closure of the offices of Daily Trust newspapers in Abuja, Maiduguri
and Lagos by the Nigerian Army.
The church leadership cautioned government agencies
to avoid unnecessary use of force, rather, to always follow due process in the
discharge of their duties so as not to be seen as trampling on the fundamental
human rights of citizens and residents.
No comments:
Post a Comment