The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to swiftly reinstate Justice Ayo Salami, the former President of the Court of Appeal who was recalled yesterday by the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC).
The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to swiftly reinstate Justice Ayo Salami, the former President of the Court of Appeal who was recalled yesterday by the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC).
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In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Osita Okechukwu, CNPP recalled its outrage on August 17 2011 over the arbitrary application of the rule of law, and the crude and unethical manner in which the NJC suspended Justice Salami.
“To compound matters, President Goodluck Jonathan swiftly approved the decision and appointed Justice Dalhatu Adamu [as] replacement with immediate effect,” the statement said, noting that it regarded the action of the NJC at that time as the height of judicial recklessness.
CNPP said it was convinced that Justice Salami was hounded because of the presidential election petition, which pitted the Congress for Progressive Change against the People’s Democratic Party, over which he was presiding at the Appeal Court.
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“Otherwise, what happened between the 9 months interval which made the NJC to reverse itself?” it asked, challenging the judicial body to apologize to Nigerians for not complying diligently with the laws of the land, for discrediting the judiciary and for gross impropriety.
Full text of the statement:
PRESIDENT JONATHAN REINSTATE JUSTICE SALAMI FORTHWITH
On August 17 2011, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} was outraged by the arbitrary application of the rule of law, crude and unethical manner in which the National Judicial Council {NJC} on its 7thEmergency Meeting suspended the President Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami.
To compound matters President Goodluck Jonathan swiftly approved the decision and appointed Justice DalhatuAdamu for replacement with immediate effect.
We regard the action of the NJC then as the height of judicial recklessness, which regrettably portends grave danger to not only the temple of justice in Nigeria, but accelerates the dangerous slide of Nigeria into a failed state.
CNPP had maintained since then that the action of the National Judicial Council is contemptuous, scandalous and had exposed the perfidy of the judiciary and undermines the integrity of the temple of justice in Nigeria. It is good NJC reversed itself.
We reaffirm our candid view that the Justice UmaruAbdullahi {rtd} and Justice Ibrahim Auta Committees set up by the NJC were less than transparent in their submissions; for we were at a loss where Justice Salami went wrong in refusing to take the orders of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Kastina-Aluto pervert the course of justice in the Sokoto State Governorship election matter.
May we also ask, was it not paradoxical that NJC acquitted the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu who arrested court judgment in the case of Sokoto State Governorship matter at the Appeal Court and suspended Justice Salami for refusing to subvert justice?
We had severally warned of the danger of monumental corruption bedeviling the judiciary – Food is Ready Justice System - which has eaten deep into the fabric of our judiciary and by extension ravaged the Election Tribunals.
CNPP is of the candid view that Justice Salami was hounded because of the presidential election petition – CPC vs PDP, which he presided over then at the Appeal Court.
Otherwise, what happened between the 9 months interval which made the NJC to reverse itself?
In this context, we urge the NJC to apologize to Nigerians for not complying diligently with the laws of the land, for discrediting the judiciary and for gross impropriety.
Finally, we call on President Jonathan to swiftly reinstate Justice Salami; for failure to act as swiftly as he did before may fuel the suspicion of double standard regrettablyeroding his image.
OsitaOkechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
CNPP
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