former Chief Justice of Nigeria
(CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen
President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the voluntary retirement
of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria
effective from May 28, 2019.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Senior Special
Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) Garba Shehu, on
Sunday night.
Accepting his resignation on Sunday, the president thanked
Onnoghen for his service to the country and wished him well.
Buhari also wrote to the acting CJN Ibrahim Mohammed who
succeeded the oust jurist, seeking the appointment of adding
Justices for the Supreme Court.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 230(2) A&B of the
Constitution of the Fed Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended), I am
pleased to request that you initiate in earnest the process of
appointing additional five Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria
to make the full complement of 21 Justices as provided by the
aforementioned provisions of the Constitution,” the president said
in a letter he wrote to the top jurist.
“This is in line with the Government’s Agenda of repositioning
the Judiciary in general and Supreme Court in particular for
greater efficiency, with a view to reducing the backlogs of appeals
pending at the Supreme Court.
“Please accept, your Lordship, the assurances of my highest
regards,” the epistle added.
Recall Nairalaw in April reported that Onnoghen tendered
his resignation a day after the National Judicial Council (NJC)
recommended that he be compulsorily retired for misconduct.
Justices Onnoghen, was accused of non-declaration of assets
traced to him, was suspended by the president earlier in the year
over, weeks the general elections.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had filed false assets
declaration charges against the former justice at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
He was convicted at the CCT and barred from holding public
office for 10 years.
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