Metuh: Goodluck Jonathan’s summon political – Ukweni SAN

The summon of former President GoodLuck Jonathan to appear
before the High Court presided over by Justice Abang Okon in Abuja
is political, Mr. Mba Ekpezu Ukweni, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(SAN) said on Wednesday.

Speaking to our reporter, Ukweni said “You know those things are
political, President Buhari is doing those things deliberately, but
in law, nobody is above the law.

“He is just trying to pass through the available legal provision
to harass the former President‎.”

“There is nothing in law that stop the former President from
appearing in court. After all, the immunity he was enjoying before
now as the President is no more there. He has to honour the
invitation, if he has been invited,” he stated.

He added that “When former President Obasenjo was invited to
appear in court, he appeared.

“I am not saying he should be treated in a disdainful manner; I
know this thing is politically motivated but in our law and
constitution, nothing stops him from appearing in court, if he has
done something that warrant him to be there.”

On local government autonomy, he stressed that “the autonomy is
constitutional, most of these things are already provided for in
the constitution, it is just implementation that people refused to
do.

“Just like we talk about judicial autonomy, or autonomy of the
three arms of governments, those things are already provided for in
the constitution. There are three arms of government; the federal
government does not control state government’s resources.

“And in the same vein, the constitution does not contemplate,
that state government should control local government money, but
you know our situation, the state governor controls the local
government, which is wrong and against the provision of the
constitution”.

The summon of former President GoodLuck Jonathan to appear
before the High Court presided over by Justice Abang Okon in Abuja
is political, Mr. Mba Ekpezu Ukweni, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria
(SAN) said on Wednesday.

Speaking to our reporter, Ukweni said “You know those things are
political, President Buhari is doing those things deliberately, but
in law, nobody is above the law.

“He is just trying to pass through the available legal provision
to harass the former President‎.”

“There is nothing in law that stop the former President from
appearing in court. After all, the immunity he was enjoying before
now as the President is no more there. He has to honour the
invitation, if he has been invited,” he stated.

He added that “When former President Obasenjo was invited to
appear in court, he appeared.

“I am not saying he should be treated in a disdainful manner; I
know this thing is politically motivated but in our law and
constitution, nothing stops him from appearing in court, if he has
done something that warrant him to be there.”

On local government autonomy, he stressed that “the autonomy is
constitutional, most of these things are already provided for in
the constitution, it is just implementation that people refused to
do.

“Just like we talk about judicial autonomy, or autonomy of the
three arms of governments, those things are already provided for in
the constitution. There are three arms of government; the federal
government does not control state government’s resources.

“And in the same vein, the constitution does not contemplate,
that state government should control local government money, but
you know our situation, the state governor controls the local
government, which is wrong and against the provision of the
constitution”.