By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Nigeria’s Chief Justice (CJN) Walter Onnoghen has dismissed insinuations that there is a gang up by the country’s judicial arm of government against the executive or any arm of government to frustrate its policy especially the anti-graft war.
The President, Muhammadu Buhari upon resumption of office in May 2015, promised to tackle corruption which according to him had crippled the economy.
Onnoghen, a product of a process which made tension envelop the polity told State House Correspondents on Tuesday that if there is any doubt to his stance from any quarter, there must be proofs to authenticate such claims reports The Guardian.
The statement came following the Federal Government loss of four key corruption cases to suspects at Federal High Courts.
These include corruption charges against wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Barrister Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
Onnoghen said: “There must be a winner and a loser. In our system, a loser has the chance of appealing to the highest court eventually. So, you cannot say because the government or any agency has lost a case in the high court, the fight is losing steam. You should realise that there is a constitution in place and under the constitution there is the rule of law.
“So, every system under the rule of law must have these checks and balances to protect everyone. It is for everyone,” the CJN said.
He added further: “I have told you that if you are not satisfied, the system is fashioned and designed in such a way that if you lose in the magistrate court and you are not satisfied, because someone must win and another must lose; so the loser has the chance of testing the decision on appeal. When it comes to the judiciary, don’t be judgmental. When you are judgmental, you become prejudice.”
The country’s number one judge and head of the judiciary who hails from Biase in central Cross River State also said he came to the villa to see the President and felicitate with him on his return from medical vacation as well appreciate the confidence reposed in him to lead the judiciary, assured he is committed to ensuring that the rule of law is enshrined in its totality in Nigeria.