Following yesterday's suspension of all the judges accused of corruption
by the Department of State Security DSS, opposition party, PDP, has
asked President Buhari to suspend the two ministers, Rotimi Amaechi and
Ogbonnaya Onu, who have been mentioned in the scandal. Two of the
indicted judges have accused both Ministers of offering them bribe
previously. Read the PDP statement after the cut.
It is public knowledge that on Thursday, 4th of
November, 2016, the NJC announced the decision to suspend Justices
Sylvester Ngwuta and Justice Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court. Others
are Justice Mohammed Tsamiya –Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal,
Ilorin Division; Justice Kabiru Auta – Kano State High Court; Justice
Adeniyi Ademola – Federal High Court, Abuja; Justice
1. A. Umezulike – Former Chief Judge of Enugu State and Muazu Pindiga – Federal High Court, Gombe Division.
2. The suspension was based on the investigation of these Justices by
the Directorate of State Security (DSS) on various allegations of
corruption.
3. It is important to note that Justices Ngwuta and Okoro have alleged
that they are the targets of a witch hunt because they refused offers of
inducement and bribes made to them by the Minister of Transport, Rotimi
Amaechi and the Minister of Science & Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya
Onu – to subvert the course of justice in appeals against the decisions
of lower Courts in election petitions in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti and
Rivers States.
4. In order to allow for a fair and independent investigation, it is
incumbent on President Muhammadu Buhari to ask these Ministers to step
aside pending the conclusion of investigations into these issues. The
Judiciary has set a very good example in its quest to fight corruption.
It has proven that it is ready to reform itself and we commend the NJC
for taking this bold step. Likewise, we call on the administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari to emulate the decision of the National
Judicial Council (NJC) mandating the 7 Justices to suspend the
performance of their judicial functions pending the conclusion of
investigations against them.
5. Anything less will confirm the long held notion that President
Muhammadu Buhari and his administration consider themselves to be above
the law and not subject to the provisions of our laws and the
institutions of our democracy.
6. If President Muhammadu Buhari retains these Ministers in the face of
the serious allegations against them, he will reveal that the entire
judicial corruption saga is nothing more than deliberate attempt to
blackmail the judiciary in order to subjugate it and make it a rubber
stamp Institution of the administration.
7. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed:
Prince Dayo Adeyeye
National Publicity Secretary
Posted by , Published at Friday, November 04, 2016 and have
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