Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday spoke for the first time on the controversial swearing-in of a new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), admitting that he lacked the powers to administer the oath on Justice Alloysius Katsina-Alu.

He however said but for “divine intervention”, there would have been chaos if one arm of government did not have a leadership.
The former CJN, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, in the absence of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, had last Wednesday sworn in Justice Katsina-Alu as the 11th CJN despite protests from some lawyers and civil rights activists.

Kutigi had justified the action by saying that the Oath Act of 2004 provides for the swearing-in of the CJN, Justices of the Supreme Court, President of the Court of Appeal and Justices of the Court of Appeal, among others by the President or the CJN.

In his remarks at the Thanksgiving Service at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Central Parish, Abuja, Jonathan revealed that he was very worried that there could be a vacuum leading to chaos should an arm of government be left without a leadership.
Jonathan said: “We have lots of challenges. Look at what happened during the swearing-in of the Chief Justice.

Before then when we were confronted with that situation. A few days to December 31, the Thursday the Chief Justice of Nigeria was supposed to retire, we were worried.

As a Vice-President, based on our laws, I do not have any powers to swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria. It is a ceremonial responsibility and ceremonial functions are sometimes more serious than the real work we do. I do not have the powers to swear in the Chief Justice of the Federation.

I was worried that if we got to that Thursday and the Chief Justice of Nigeria was not sworn in, that would mean one arm of government had no leader and that would have been an invitation to chaos.

“As at that time, because the tradition had been there for 51 years where President swears in the Chief Justice, no Nigerian or even senior lawyers cared to look at the other aspect of the law.

In fact, I even had to approach the former Chief Justice. I said, Look, I have the powers to extend your period of stay in the office… since I cannot swear in a new Chief Justice, can’t I extend your stay in office so that there will be no vacuum? But he said it was not possible because the Constitution says at the age of 70 he must go.

“But he promised he was going to re-examine the laws. I got back to my office. I was terribly worried within that period. A few days to the time (expiration of the tenure of the former CJN), the Attorney-General [Mike Aondoakaa] came and showed me the Act that says either the President or the Chief Justice of the Federation can swear in the new Chief Justice of the Federation. That law was there but nobody saw it.”

He used this experience to implore Christians to always look up to God in moments of challenges.
“What I am saying is that as a nation, as individuals we might have challenges,” he said. “Sometimes, when we have major challenges, it helps us to look more into our lives, look more into whatever there is… even as Christians there are times we think when things are going well, we think it is because of our ability, our intelligence, our background, because of whatever… we don’t know is the grace of God that those things are happening to us. Sometimes, it is good to have challenges even as individuals.

Even in sickness, I believe God wants to tell us that He is the only person who is keeping us alive, that whatever we are, it is by His grace.”

Jonathan, who thanked Nigerians for praying for the nation at these challenging times, assured Nigerians that there is a brighter tomorrow for Nigerians.

He said: “I want to specially thank all of you for the prayers you have been offering for this country, especially within this time that we have a lot of challenges, as a nation and as government. Because we pray no matter the turbulence, no matter the challenges we have, God will see us through.

“And of course, you know our President has been out of the country for about 39 days today (yesterday) on health ground and those of you who bother to read the papers, sometimes you feel as if the whole country is sinking. People call me and wonder if I even sleep after reading the stories in the papers.

“Whatever we are facing as a nation within this period is because God wants to tell us that he is in charge and that nobody, no human being is in charge. I want to sincerely thank you on behalf of the Government of Nigeria that you have been praying for Mr. President, the country and I pray that you continue to pray.”