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Onnoghen’s case: We can’t take orders from Buhari — Supreme Court
BY: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
The Supreme Court said as an independent arm of government, it does not take orders from President Muhammadu Buhari on how to run its affairs.
While disclosing that the president has never meddled in its internal administration, the apex court denied media reports that six of its directors were behind the exit of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
In a statement by the Director, Information and Press, Dr. Festus Akande, the Supreme Court further claimed that there was no power tussle between three directors in the Finance and Accounts departments of the court, as earlier reported in the media.
Specifically, the statement was a response to a publication in one of the national dailies (not Daily Sun) with the caption, “How Six Directors Cost Onnoghen his Job.”
The statement reads: “It is imperative to let the public know that the story is misleading, ill-informed and obviously calculated to fan the ember of discord and as well whip up premature sentiments.
“The Supreme Court of Nigeria is an organised and well-structured arm of a government that is governed by well-defined rules and regulations which all staff are expected to observe and align within their daily operations.
The Nigerian state, as it is well known, has three arms of government which evidently make provision for the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. As it is in practice, these three arms are mutually independent and largely enjoy the separation of powers; thus for anyone to insinuate that the executive or the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, is the one dictating to the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to run the affairs of the Supreme Court or the kind of disciplinary measures to mete out as a form of the internal discipline of the staff for whatever reason is both false and logically defective.
In his capacity as the head of the Nigerian Judiciary and the Supreme Court in particular, as it was then, Hon Justice Walter Onnoghen had no cause to seek external advice or intervention in the discipline of his staff, if such the occasion had arisen. Similarly, the alleged six directors or what the publication referred to as “ASCON 6” have no cause or power whatsoever to plot against Justice Onnoghen as reported in the publication.
“Let it be noted that the President and Commander-in-Chief has never interfered or meddled into the internal administration of the Supreme Court, let alone granting audience to the six directors with a view to plotting Justice Onnoghen’s down fall on the grounds that the former Chief Justice of Nigeria allegedly failed to heed to the president’s advice of sacking them for the alleged “massive underhand dealings.”
As for the Finance and Accounts Department of the Court, there is no power tussle between three directors, as the current acting Director, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim came in from the National Judicial Institute on secondment for a specified duration which has not yet elapsed.
“Once again, it is necessary to caution peddlers of misleading and divisive rumours to always work in tandem with their conscience before hitting the public domain with their usual avalanche of falsehood that will end up doing no one any good. There is no fracture or dislocation in the internal administrative mechanism of the Supreme Court.
“Evidently, the entire publication is replete with falsehood and garnished tales, as there is nothing like “anti-Onnoghen campaign” group among the Honourable Justices of the Court. This claim could aptly be taken as a fairy tale that only dwells in the imagination of the author and his informants. The Supreme Court Justices have no camps, groups or any form of division in their ranks as alleged. In reality, they are even more united and cohesive in the discharge of their judicial functions and service to their fatherland.” (Daily Sun)
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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