“Take all the robes of all the good judges that have ever lived on the face of the earth, and they would not be large enough to cover the iniquity of one corrupt judge.” - Henry Ward Beecher
Please join the rebuilding process of Nigeria for the common good, sign the petition for the resignation of the CJN… click on resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com , it takes about 4 minutes of your time-- It only needs your name, profession, location and email (your email will not be made public).
Demand for the immediate Resignation of Justice Kastina-Alu Group
Email:[email protected]
“Take all the robes of all the good judges that have ever lived on the face of the earth, and they would not be large enough to cover the iniquity of one corrupt judge.” - Henry Ward Beecher
Please join the rebuilding process of Nigeria for the common good, sign the petition for the resignation of the CJN… click on resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com , it takes about 4 minutes of your time-- It only needs your name, profession, location and email (your email will not be made public).
Demand for the immediate Resignation of Justice Kastina-Alu Group
Email:[email protected]
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February 13, 2011.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Supreme Court Complex, Three Arms Zone,
P.M.B 484, Abuja, Nigeria.
Attention: Justice Aloysius Iyorger Kastina-Alu
Dear Sir:
Demanding your immediate resignation as the Chief Judge of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Our dear country is at a cross road and at the threshold of history where for 12 consecutive years, democracy have become the order of leadership and keep at bay all sorts of dictatorship that have in the past several years stunted our progress…Our democracy is not where majority of Nigerians want it to be, but the process is set, and will correct itself if we the Nigerian people keep vigil on our leaders to do right. In April 2011, another election will take place and Nigerians will go to the polls once again to choose their National and state leaders. Events of the past few weeks on your questionable actions in the leadership of the Judiciary and in view of the fact that you are the Chief Judge of Nigeria have cumulated into a worrisome situation, which is fearful and if allowed to be swept under the carpet as usual will seriously harm our nation and do injustice to law abiding citizens of our country.
In the following, are highlights of those troublesome areas that need immediate decision:
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As the Chief Judge of the Federation, you’re the leader of the justice system that is the last hope of the common man. In law, the defense and the prosecutor have equal right to make their case in front of a neutral, independent and an impartial Judge whose duty it is to deliver justice in black and white no matter who the person is…rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, Hindi or Buddhist, pagan or traditionalist…justice must be done--personal and group freedom and liberty must be upheld.
As the Chief Judge of Nigeria all other Judges in the nation are strictly under your supervision/leadership and you know that the rule of engagement as CJN is to ensure that those Judges under your purview carry out their functions and responsibilities based strictly on the tenants of the Nigerian constitution and not the caprices of your choice, sentiment, religious/ethnic inclination and favorites.
There is absolutely no doubt that as a member of the Apex court and a judge, you have the power to decide who will die or who will be alive to individuals and groups especially Nigerians who pass through the justice system… you also have the power to send any Nigerian or anyone in the jurisdiction of the Nigerian constitution who pass through the court system to jail from months to life in prison. Having that power needs a Judge with complete integrity, impartiality, independent, sound mind, clear line of responsibility and have the absolute trust of the people --that integrity you lack, that trust you lost because your character and actions have seriously negated the law of the land and the expected standards and practice direction of the Judicial system you have compromised.
In the coming April 2011 election, we believe you know how deeply important it is to the Nigerian people-- that the election is free and fair and that the Judiciary which you head will play a major role before and after the election. It is from experience that most politicians will rig the election and subvert the will of the Nigerian people; parties will substitute the names of primary winners of their parties, unqualified candidates will want to wiggle themselves into the electoral system. We have had cases where individuals illegally occupied the office of the Governor for more than 3 years for a term of 4 years. We will need the justice system to expeditiously deliver judgment in such electoral cases to have a quick closure and when judgment is given let it be said loud and clear that justice was done to both the plaintiff and the defendant. Under your leadership of the Judiciary, we do not see any hope that justice will done, we cannot trust your judgment or the judgment of the judges who will work under your supervision and leadership no more.
There is no doubt nor contradiction that, when a citizen stands in a court of law and a Judge is at head of the deliberations and adjudication, that that Nigerian should be able to trust that that Judge will deliver judgment according to the law of the land whether negative or positive to that Nigerian or any other individual. As it stands today under your headship of the judiciary, we cannot trust that a Judge that sits at the head of the court will deliver honest and unbiased judgment. Under your leadership we cannot trust any Judge anymore because we don’t know what you have told him or her in a backroom negotiation on behalf of your favorite party in the case.
The accusation from Justice Ayo Salami of the Appeal court, that you pressured him to deliver judgment in the 2007 gubernatorial electoral case in favor of the Sokoto state Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is weighty and as such we cannot determine how many such cases you have delivered judgment based on backroom deals instead of following the law of the land or how many cases you have instructed Judges to deliver contrary judgment in favor of one individual/group against another individual/group. We cannot trust that past cases you have adjudicated on was fair, unbiased, and honest, nor will we trust that future cases can be fair and honest from you or any judge you appoint and that you won’t instruct that Judge to deliver Judgment based on your favorite candidate/personal sentiment in the case in a court of law. The judiciary under your leadership is heavily compromised and as such we cannot call the Judiciary under your leadership last hope of the common man any more.
Sir, putting all the above highlight under serious consideration and considering the importance of the upcoming April 2011 election and the important/responsible role expected to be played after the election by the judiciary, we the undersigned, full blooded ordinary law abiding and patriotic Nigerian citizens, do solemnly demand that you resign your position as the Chief Judge of the federal Republic of Nigeria immediately. Please we are not asking for your immediate resignation out of malice, but out of respect for the office of the Chief Judge of the federation, the Judiciary, the ordinary Nigerians, especially the poor Nigerians who cannot call Justice Kastina-Alu on phone/meet him in person to ask him to intervene/instruct a judge in their case before they can get justice. As the Chief Judge and having spent the better part of your life in the Judiciary system of Nigeria, it is honorable for your good, good of the Judiciary, the country and for the common good for you to resign now and save and preserve the integrity, impartiality, and independent of the Judiciary.
Justice Aloysius Iyorger Kastina-Alu sir, we the Nigeria people will not tolerate, accept or allow your personal agenda, bias and enshrined interest triumph over the constitution of our dear country. Do the right thing it is time for you to go.
Sincerely
Owunari Hopkins-Amachree
Coordinator, Demand for the immediate Resignation of Justice Aloysius Kastina-Alu
CC:
President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan
Senate President, Senator David Mark
Speaker House of Representative, Hon Dimeji Bankole,
Transform-Nigeria,
Nigerian Bar Association,
Nigeria judicial Council,
Campaign for Democracy,
Committee for the Defence of Human Rights
Civil Liberties Organisation
Constitutional Rights Project
Transition Monitoring Group.
Footnote on the Need for fellow Nigerians to take this petition seriously.
“It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees.” Dolores Ibarruri
Let, we the free and patriotic citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria resolve here and demand with immediate effect the resignation of the Chief Judge of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The judiciary as it stands today under the leadership of Justice Aloysius Iyorger Kastina-Alu is no more independent and unbiased as such do not in any form represent a justice system that will be impartial. Nigerians in the inner dept of their heart want a system where the Justice system remains fiercely independent and remain true to its coined name “the last hope of the common man/woman.” We need strong institutions especially the justice system so that rich or poor could get equal an unbiased, impartial and uncompromised justice.
Justice Kastina-Alu has compromised his position as Chief Judge of the Federation, by going and acting contrary to his oath of office to remain independent and an impartial umpire of the Apex court. As such he is no more qualified to occupy that sacred, venerable and deeply important institution that is the bedrock of any democracy and decent society where justice at all times is seem to have been done and set to correct the corruption and missteps of other arms of government of our dear nation. In Justice Kastina-Alu's, leadership we lost that judiciary that will stand for every Nigerian, rather he has given us a judiciary that seems to stand for those that can negotiate, access him, the elites and the highest bidder.
I implore you as well meaning, patriotic and passionate Nigerian to take your time to help drive down the screw to force this deeply corrupt Judge that have defied all reason for this atrocious behavior to resign. In as much we know now the behavior of Justice Kastina-Alu about his backdoor demand to Justice Ayo Salami to deliver a different kind of Judgment against the facts in the court of law on the Sokoto Gubernatorial appeal tribunal, we don't know the many other cases and resulting judgments he has intimidated or influenced Judges and asked for judgment that favors his preferred party in a court of law of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is Judges like Kastina-Alu that had contributed and helped in creating an incubating environment that enabled corruption to strive, enabled rogues and ex-convicts to be Governors, senators of Federal Republic of Nigeria, House of Representatives members. In Justice Kastina-Alu's leadership, justice has been turned upside down, those who are influential have their case disposed off with dispatch, and the helpless citizens remain in jail upmost of 12 years without conviction or discharge. It is our duty as Nigerians never to allow this kind of deeply flawed characters like Justice Kastina-Alu to remain in office one extra minute.
Once again I implore you to sign up this petition and make your voice heard. It is your civic duty to defend your right and demand for an impartial judiciary that adjudicate for all Nigerians. The time for sitting on the fence and do nothing is over, the charting and whining must be over, it is time for action. We cannot remain docile and remain unconcerned in this kind of characters, because today’s victim might be Peter, the next might be you. Let’s not allow it no more. Never again will we allow illegal behavior of our office holders go by unquestioned and unchallenged, never again.
Please for the umpteenth time if you believe in a Nigeria where the judiciary remain the last hope of the common man, if you believe in the integrity and independence of the judiciary, If you believe the judiciary should give justice to the poor and the rich unbiased, the not connected and the connected, If you believe the supremacy of the law of the land, if you believe in un-negotiable justice, un-negotiable freedom and un-negotiable liberty, then this is the time to endorse and sign this petition-click on resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com. This petition will be sent to Justice Aloysius Iyorger Kastina-Alu, and copy the following: President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President, Senator David Mark, and Speaker of the House of Representative Dimeji Bankole, NJC, Ministry of Justice, and Human right/Civil society.
Thank you.
Owunari Hopkins-Amachree
Coordinator, Demand for the Resignation of Justice Aloysius Kastina-Alu Group.
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