Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says he is feeling sad over the trial of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen, on allegations of false and non-asset declarations.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) had scheduled Jan. 14 for the arraignment of the CJN.

However, the process was stalled as the CJN failed to appear before the CCT; and a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja also ordered the CCT to halt proceedings.

Osinbajo, who spoke at the 2019 Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) conference on Wednesday in Abuja, said that President Muhammadu Buhari had no prior knowledge of the arraignment.

The theme of the conference is “Free Press and Objective Reporting in the 2019 Election Year.’’

According to Osinbajo, Buhari’s approach is that institutions should do their work.

“ I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening. He did not even know that there will be any kind of arraignment until Saturday evening.

“He has said categorically, do not interfere with whatever institutions are doing; sometimes, it has consequences such as we have today; such that people say how can such an important person be subjected to a trial without the Federal Government?

“But I can tell you without any equivocation whatsoever that he was not even in the know because it is a specific instruction that he gave.

“So , even where somebody else calls a public officer such as Ibrahim Magu of EFCC and says something or the other, he will say `no, no, no, Mr president has said I can do my work.

“My take is that I would rather not have a situation where senior members of my profession are being tried for an offence; certainly, I will rather not have that kind of situation.

“ So, I do not feel particularly good about it; as a matter of fact, I feel very sad; that it is going on at all, that is my position.’’’

Osinbajo tasked online publishers to go after details and check the facts before publishing; warning that online news was losing credibility.

The vice president said that elections had heightened ethnic and religious tensions and tended to threaten and challenge Nigeria’s unity and security.

“So, it is even more so, the case today that we just must be more responsive because anybody on their beds can launch a website, post images from anywhere in the world and tell whatever story he wishes.

“So, the online publisher is essentially in a poorly regulated space and can publish practically anything, even outright falsehoods.

“Perhaps because the worst that can happen is a libel action if your publication tarnishes a person’s reputation.

“The problem with the current situation is that online news may lose credibility; and that is a very bad situation because the loss of credibility is bad for everybody, bad for business and weakens an important social tool of public communication.’’

He suggested the encouragement and promotion of forums for online practitioners to engage and develop by interaction with others.

“As for elections, I think it affords an opportunity for an online publication to become well established as a credible and speedy source of news and information.

“News on election results will be so sought after that anyone who can provide them accurately and in a timely fashion will be the go-to-site, even in the future.

“The point to bear in mind is that integrity pays. Being the first to break the news, especially when it is unverified, might bring in some traffic initially, but it does not take that long to lose reputation.

“And once the credibility of the publication is damaged, people will not take the news seriously,’’ he said.

Earlier in a remark, OPAN President, Mr Austin Ogannah, said that the association as founded in 2011.

According to him, the idea is to have an association that self regulates practitioners in the online news media; so that members can hold one another accountable.

Ogannah said that the essence of the conference was to understand objective reporting in an election as captured in the theme.

http://thenationonlineng.net/feel-sad-cjns-trial-osinbajo-2/

Anything other than cow baba wont know. Or what do u expect from an old fulani cattle rearer?
If u doubt me, ask Amaechi

What of JUBRIL?

only restructuring can save this country The current system only favours the politicians to the detriment of the masses Atiku means restructuring... It's a start We can't continue like this Buhari cannot do anything... The foundation is faulty

We all feel sad but let the law takes its course
If it is you and me, they will say ignorance is no excuse but to them, ignorance is an excuse

Hypocrite,pretender,descendant of Judas Iscariot

Osibanjo I am suspecting you now.. Your presence is too much..

Rank your business on Google fast check my profile for new results

I smell lies.

The motives behind his removal at the moment is all because of possible outcomes of all the elections in 2019. Apc are suspecting him to be a Pdp loyalist.

The allegations against him are genuine but the timing is wrong

One way to build strong institutions is to allow them function independently with reasonable supervisory guidance as opposed to supervisory control. There may be abuses and excesses but these can be corrected through presidential guidance, judiciary intervention or legislative reengineering. At the end of the day, the institution concerned become stronger.

In the last US presidential election, former pres. Obama allowed FBI to do its job when they reopened the 'e-mail case' against Democratic party candidate Mrs. Hillary Clinton few weeks to the election. That move contributed to Mrs. Clinton's defeat. But Obama refused to sacrifice institutional independence on the altar of partisanship.

The "Where we wear" master.

SaiAtikuTill203:
only restructuring can save this country
The current system only favours the politicians to the detriment of the masses
Atiku means restructuring... It's a start
We can't continue like this
Buhari cannot do anything... The foundation is faulty

And Atiku isn't a politician right?! Whether you call on Atiku or Buhari, the two can't help Nigeria. They have the same agenda but different lies to get what they want. Not until Nigerians especially the youth rise up against them, uniting to see them & their likes as a common enemy that must be kicked out of power forever. And electing a fresh, dynamic, young digital leader. Trust me nothing will happen. The story will continue. Imagine Buhari didn't win the last election. Nigerians would have been seeing Buhari as the messiah they never had.

You feel sad kwa
Odiegwu

Osinbanjo is the new Lai Mohammed, just lying non stop.

FAKE FRAUDULENT PASTOR

Chwooooi!! Prof. Can lie o!

Anytime this cluesless President makes any wrong move and there is public outcry, the next thing, is to feign ignorance and that liar Pastor will be defending him like the Afonja house boy he is!!! Buhari is definitely going back to Daura insha'Allah!!


Yeye dey smell

Normal

VP and President deny all wrongdoings of the Executive branch of govt.
CABAL is therefor ruling Nigeria.

It shows buhari ur boss is not in charge.
In sane society if you want to prosecute very very important personality that can lead to security breach , the president had to be notified, he would be the person to give security agencies go ahead after considering security implications and he would have been planned how he would curtailed it if unexpected happens , since buhari give them 100% free hand to operate they would continue embarrassing his government and the president would be the figure that will bear the brunt.
It shows either his not in charge or he don't know how to govern effectively, this type of scenario happened in osun less than six months ago and it happens again.
What a leader! A leader who doesn't learn from experience

This is what happens in sane countries, every institution is allowed to carry their duty without interference from anyhwere or anybody .

CJN should defend himself and allow the law take it's course.
Nobody is above the law.

I smell huge LIES

Why do I have this feeling that Osinbanjo is saying the truth...

Perhaps Buhari didn't actually know. It's like some stupid individual in his cabal is trying to impress him through eye service without thinking what the repercussion would be.

Buhari doesn't seem to know or hear anything

“ I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this until Saturday evening. He did not even know that there will be any kind of arraignment until Saturday evening.

That is one of the reason, he should have allowed a younger person to fly the party's flag, He is old and will get tired on time and won't know of most things going on under his watch. if he didn't know about a case as big as this involving a big personality, when and how will he know the plight of most nigerians that are suffering due to know job or poor economy in one corner of the country.

Who come know bayi?




Atiku!

Pmb Must be Shown the way out of ASOROCK..
This is not about Sentiments, Religion, Ethnicity or Age. It is about Nigeria and How Nigeria must Work.Come after diz election.
No more poverty
No more herdsman
No more Religion crisis
No more jobless of d masses
No more sided tackling of corruption
With GOD and PDP...Nigerians will smile again.

But Osinbajo were you aware?
Liar

Bubu! I knew he won't know. His wife said it.. Ameachi said it, Trump confirmed it. Bubu doesn't have a grip on this government

This lieing short ape need resetting slap

Why does the pastor lie so much these days?

They bit more than they could chew this time around, and it is chocking them to death.

Now they are running from pillar to post using the now overused refrain of "I didn't know..."

If you didn't know, then Nigeria deserve a president who will be in the know, and have not outsourced governance to a cabal.