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Tag: Justice Walter Onnoghen

  • CJN’s appointment: SAN commends Buhari’s approach

    CJN’s appointment: SAN commends Buhari’s approach

    • Says delay in Onnoghen’s confirmation could result in chaos

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Sebastine Hon has commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s cautious approach to the appointment of a substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

    Hon commended the position taken on the issue by the acting CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen and the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PLACAC), Prof Itse Sagay (SAN).

    Justice Onnoghen had, in a statement on Thursday, appealed to those criticising President Buhari over his perceived delay in appointing him (Onnoghen) in substantive capacity to allow the President the free hand to operate.

    Sagay has also aired similar view in his recent comments on the issue of the appointment of a substantive CJN.

    In a statement yesterday, Hon assured President Buhari that Onnoghen’s appointment in substantive capacity was the best way the President could secure the buy-in of the Judiciary and ensure the success of his various reform initiatives and anti-corruption fight.

    Part of the statement reads: “I am personally delighted and I also commend the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for his timely reaction to the delay in the President forwarding his name to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria.
    “Honourable Justice Onnoghen has, from that reaction, proved he is worthy of occupying that high seat. By shrugging off the apparent pressure on him to utter those words, Justice Onnoghen has shown that he is a nationalistic personality and is also ready and willing to shoulder the responsibility of assuming the headship of the nation’s third arm of government.
    “I hereby encourage, if not plead, with Mr President to forward Justice Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation. Whatever reforms the President intends for the Judiciary will not be hindered but will be enhanced if our dear President does this.

    “The reason is plain enough: it is when and only when the Judiciary willingly keys into those reforms that the said reforms will see the light of the day. I am dead serious on this!
    Finally, I also commend the reaction of the respected Presidential aide, Prof. Itse Sagay, SAN to the issue.

    “The learned Professor’s views reflect a most genuine inner mind of a critical stakeholder to clean the Augean Stable of the Judiciary. Prof. Sagay has a very rich resume as a no-nonsense anti-corruption crusader, hence his views on such issues should never be treated lightly.

    “However, I also, with humility, ask that he should again look at the watertight procedure spelt out in the Constitution for the appointment and removal from office of judicial officers. Such appointment and removal must involve the National Judicial Council (NJC) and it is only the cooperation rather than the coercion of the NJC that will achieve the desired result.

    “Mr President’s anti-graft war is on course, but he needs the two other arms of government, especially the Judiciary, to achieve this. Also, far-reaching reforms like the anti-corruption war are best achieved over time and not necessarily instantaneously.

    “Mr President should please send Justice Onnoghen’s name for confirmation as the CJN, to save an avoidable constitutional crisis in the Judiciary,” Hon said.

  • Magistrates demand special pay package

    Magistrates demand special pay package

    The National President, Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Mr Saidu Umar, says the association is seeking for legislation to create separate salary structure for magistrates.

    Umar told journalists on Tuesday in Dutse that the special salary structure would be called the Consolidated Magistrates Salary Structure (CONMGSS).

    According to him, the proposal will soon be submitted to both the national and state houses of assembly.

    He stressed the need to adequately remunerate magistrates in line with the duties they perform.

    The president appealed to the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, to assist in ensuring the provision of a conducive working environment for magistrates.

    Umar lamented a situation where magistrates live in rented houses, adding that they are expected to live in secluded areas with necessary conveniences.

    The president urged the CJN to review 2014 Revised National Judicial Council Guideline and Procedural Rules for the appointment of officers of superior courts, which allows the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to recommend its members.

    He complained that the guideline did not extend the same opportunity to the Magistrate Association of Nigeria to recommend its members in the same manner.

    He urged the CJN to address the issue so that magistrates too can be appointed to the higher bench as a means of encouraging hard work at the lower bench.

    The president recalled that during a recent courtesy visit on the acting CJN, “he tasked us to work hard, saying that the work of magistrates was too enormous and demanding.’’

  • Bage, Galinje appointed as Justices of S/Court

    Bage, Galinje appointed as Justices of S/Court

    President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday approved the appointment of Justices Sidi Bage and Paul Galinje, as Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    Mr Soji Oye, the council’s Acting Director of Information, made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.

    Oye said the two Justices would be sworn-in by Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on Dec. 5.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bage and Galinje are from Nasarawa and Taraba state respectively.

  • Acting CJN blames corruption for ineffective pension system

    Acting CJN blames corruption for ineffective pension system

    …PENCOM DG seeks Judiciary’s support

     

    The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen has attributed the ineffectiveness of the nation’s pension system to corruption and poor application of existing laws.

    He said the pension system will achieve its intended objective where players in the sector are guided by accountability and commitment to existing regulations.

    Justice Onnoghen spoke in Abuja Thursday at a two-day sensitisation workshop on the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Justices, judges and senior judicial officers, organised by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

    The Acting CJN said:”We owe a duty to this generation and generations yet unborn to help ensure that pensioners, who devoted their lives and strengths in the service of Nigeria, receive their pension benefits as and when due.

    “To consolidate this consciousness, we must support the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.

    “Here lies the need for objectivity and impartiality by regulatory officials, accountability by pension administrators and transparency by pension fund custodians and other stakeholders,” he said.

    Justice Onnoghen noted that some of the key challenges of the pension system include how well pension assets are managed; how well enabling laws and regulations are implemented; how well pensioner are treated, and how well the laws and regulations are fairly applied and interpreted.

    He added that the successful resolution of the identified challenges will guarantee that every person, who worked in either the public or private sector receives his retirement benefits as and when due.

    “I must caution that technicalities by lawyers and attitudes of certain employers, pension administrators and pension custodians must, in no way, hamper the good objectives of the Federal Government,” Justice Onnoghen said.

    PENCOM’s Director General, Mrs. Chinelo Ahonu-Amazu explained that the workshop was intended to familiarise participants, particularly the Justices and judges on the innovative provisions of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014.

    She said better understanding of the provisions of the new pension law by judicial officers will allow for prompt and effective resolution of pension disputes.

    “As it is with all new initiatives, the implementation process often results in certain challenges, and disputes may arise due to lack of adequate understanding of responsibilities on the part of stakeholders or misconstruction of the provisions of the Act.

    “Furthermore, in the course of enforcing compliance on recalcitrant employers by the commission, some disputes emanate that are ultimately resolved in the courts.

    “Therefore, the important role of the Judiciary in ensuring that the pension reform remains on course and deepened, as enshrined in the PRA 2014 cannot be over-emphasised,” the PENCOM DG said.

    Heads of courts, at the event are – Justices Zainab Bulkachuwa (President, Court of Appeal), Ibrahim Buba (Chief Judge, Federal High Court) and Babatunde Adejumo (President, National Industrial Court) assured of their support in ensuring the realisation of the objectives of PRA 2014.

    Justice Adejumo, who noted that the support of lawyers was necessary to achieve success, suggested that PENCOM organise similar workshops for legal practitioners.