Onnoghen conviction: Senior lawyer express fears over the tenure of Governors, Lawmakers

By Godwin Tsa, Abuja




A constitutional lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Chukwuma Ma-Chukwu Ume has disclosed that the tenure of some sitting state governors and members of the National Assembly in the opposition political parties is not guaranteed as they would soon be thrown out of office using the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Ume who spoke with Daily Sun yesterday on the implication of the trial and conviction of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen by the CCT condemned the process and procedure that lead to the judgment.

The lawyer who was among Justice Onnoghen’s legal team faulted the judgment of the CCT which he maintained had some political coloration as it was not based on any legal principle.

According to him, ” the trial of the former CJN has nothing to do with fighting corruption as it was purely politically motivated.

“You can’t fight corruption when you have a corrupt intention. The trial was ill-intended aimed at achieving a political goal and not a national goal.

” Corruption should be fought for the purpose of eradicating corruption and for achieving a predetermined political agenda.

” The rule of law was thrown to the dustbin at the tribunal and the judgment is most unfortunate and collaboration to the fact of achieving a predetermined goal.

“From the formulation to trial, arraignment, wherein court orders were thrown to the dustbin and judgment which was based on no evidence known to law show that the whole act was set at a point of no-return. Like a plane, once it gets to its final acceleration, there is no going back.

” The political motive was set at a point of no return. It does not matter how the soul of the nation bleeds, however the constitution, democracy and judiciary is thrown to the mud as all that was at stake was the political interest.

” But what to an extent can a country grow when individual political interest supersedes national interest. That is why Nigeria which is the 6th largest producer of oil does not have a refinery,” Ume lamented.

Umeh expressed fear that “soon, the constitutional provision for the recall of elected members of the National Assembly who are in the opposition political parties will be thrown into dustbin and the CCT will be used to recall them by their constituencies.

He lamented that Judges who are granted immunity by the constitution will be sacrificed by individual political interest of the ruling political party.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal had on Thursday, April 2019, convicted former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen in a circumstance that has put a question mark on the integrity and the independence of the country’s judiciary.

The former CJN, who had tendered his resignation letter following his suspension from office on account of his trial, was convicted on all the six-counts bordering on non-declaration of assets and maintaining five separate foreign bank accounts, in breach of the code of public office holders.

The tribunal consequently ordered the forfeiture of the money in all the five bank accounts of Onnoghen to the federal government and the banned him of from holding public office for a period of 10 years.

His travails started when the Federal government had in an unprecedented move on January 11, dragged him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, for trial, accusing him failing to declare his assets as prescribed by the law.

In the six-count charge marked CCT/ABJ/01/19, FG, equally accused Onnoghen of maintaining five separate foreign bank accounts, in breach of the code of conduct for public office holders.

The charge followed a petition dated January 7, which was lodged against the embattled CJN by a group under the aegis of Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/onnoghen-conviction-senior-lawyer-express-fears-over-the-tenure-of-governors-lawmakers/

Our constitution need total over haul..... Well I don't blame the thief justice, I blame our intellectuals for sticking to constitution written and implement by military kangaroo.

Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

on a serious note I don't like d kind of Politics we practice here... Our Govts are too vindictive.. both Pdp and APC are just d same set of ppl.. Too Vindictive

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

I'm not Igbo but I know that the brainless Igbo children as you claim are given a cut off marks point of not less than 99.9 for federal and national school entrance exam while your own children are given 0 to 1 for the same exam, the funny things is that your children are struggling to scored above micro zero and 1 while the ones you call brainless are breaking records and scoring above the cut off marks consistently,

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

The same people who awarded you and keyamo SAN.

nazicartel:
on a serious note I don't like d kind of Politics we practice here... Our Govts are too vindictive.. both Pdp and APC are just d same set of ppl.. Too Vindictive

APC as an evil party only know how to rule with evil intentions even if the nation bleeds.
They came to power through evil intentions, they are ruling through evil intentions.

But the good news is that, APC as a party built on a weak foundation will not last.

Take out the lifeless Sudanese and tell me what kind of evostik can glue thief.nubu, Elrufai and yeye Bello together.

Notice how I left SE out of the calculation, they themselves buried their own remains in that region.

Chukwuma is his name. Of course I am not surprised!!

They are born with a gene that embraces and nurtures everything sordid, dirty, filthy and corrupt.

What a shame.

[s]

omenkaLives:
Chukwuma is his name. Of course I am not surprised!!

They are born with a gene that embraces and nurtures everything sordid, dirty, filthy and corrupt.

What a shame.

[/s]
always a bigot instead to mind your state Benue

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

Wont be surprised if it was facilitated by the ineffectual buffoon.

Imagine the filth coming out the nostrils of the idiot.

He is not a constitutional lawyer, he's a freaking senior advocate of thieves and terrorists.

Feel so unfortunate sharing same country with these swines honestly.

[s]

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

[/s]
better than the illiterate criminal San Keyamo

Buhari is an old criminal
in a saner clime he'll be hang on the gallows

omenkaLives:
Wont be surprised if it was facilitated by the ineffectual buffoon.

Imagine the filth coming out the nostrils of the idiot.

He is not a constitutional lawyer, he's a freaking senior advocate of thieves and terrorists.

Feel so unfortunate sharing same country with these swines honestly.

you appeared so bittered about this Ibos, take things easy bros biterness is a deadly disease. However,I have no sympathy whatsover for the corrupt former CJN he deserved what he got

so on point.
I wonder why we have refused to see buhari for who he really is. The case of gandollar comes to mind but what do i know?

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

If he is brainless then I can safely say that you don't even have a skull to house a brain!!

OritaIbadan:

you appeared so bittered about this Ibos take things easy bros

Hmmm. I'm returning their love bro. Love them much as they love me.

mauriceju2:

I'm not Igbo but I know that the brainless Igbo children as you claim are given a cut off marks point of not less than 99.9 for federal and national school entrance exam while your own children are given 0 to 1 for the same exam, the funny things is that your children are struggling to scored above micro zero and 1 while the ones you call brainless are breaking records and scoring above the cut off marks consistently,

Why are you ashamed of your tribe??

[s]

omenkaLives:
Hmmm. I'm returning their love bro. Love them much as they love me.

[/s]
and we are returning fire for fire
we don't get tired
it's follow till the end of the world
God is my strength


I thank God that you can't insult igbos or nairalanders like before
I'll make sure it remains so forever
you can only rant and cry
na you sabi

fernandez1:
Our constitution need total over haul..... Well I don't blame the thief justice, I blame our intellectuals for sticking to constitution written and implement by military kangaroo.

the guys at the national assembly should take the blame

All I have to say is Nigeria will soon get it right.

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Zero 9 zero 9. 515. 711 eight.

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

10x better than than this fool.

omenkaLives:
Chukwuma is his name. Of course I am not surprised!!

They are born with a gene that embraces and nurtures everything sordid, dirty, filthy and corrupt.

What a shame.

when brainless zombies don't have appropriate rebuttals. they play the tribal card




it's expected.

Oloye them....those once na there pocket them go represent

BillgatesMaigad:
the guys at the national assembly should take the blame

Here we go again with a baboon beating his inflated ego chest as usual.

So much talk about 99.9% whatever yet your entire tribe lack the knowledge to wrestle power from those you claim can not must 0.1% or score above zero education n intelligence wise. The dullard ruled your father from time memorial nthey are still rulling you and will eventually rull the entirety of your generation yet unborn.

So tell me your father is not or you is not stupid or what is the essence of the 99% education you have been scoring that you can not influence, orientate or even subjugate the dullards you claim can think ? Should your father n his entire tribe not be ashamed that you are such a failure for a tribe that make so much noise but have nothing of any significance to show for it ?

mauriceju2:

I'm not Igbo but I know that the brainless Igbo children as you claim are given a cut off marks point of not less than 99.9 for federal and national school entrance exam while your own children are given 0 to 1 for the same exam, the funny things is that your children are struggling to scored above micro zero and 1 while the ones you call brainless are breaking records and scoring above the cut off marks consistently,

fernandez1:
Our constitution need total over haul..... Well I don't blame the thief justice, I blame our intellectuals for sticking to constitution written and implement by military kangaroo.

Thief justice...

Btw, most of our institutions were created by “military kangaroo” - the states, universities, the courts of appeal, the federal high court, NAFDAC, NCC, SON, NUC, etc. We cannot simply pick-and-choose which ones we want to suit our partisan purposes. Accordingly, instead of wallowing in the past, we should be making changes going forward (such as changing the constitution within existing institutions, as desirable).

PS: While the Constitution was enacted by military decree, it was actually drafted by “our intellectuals” (and not only by the Constitution Drafting Committee wrt the 1979 Constitution, on which the present Constitution is based on with some amendments, but also by the constitution review committees between 1979 and 1999). Bad workpeople blame their tools, the Constitution did not cause Onnoghen’s issues.

dre11:


Onnoghen conviction: Senior lawyer express fears over the tenure of Governors, Lawmakers




https://www.sunnewsonline.com/onnoghen-conviction-senior-lawyer-express-fears-over-the-tenure-of-governors-lawmakers/

Isn't he placing Onnoghen's personal.interest over the welfare of the entire country by this stance of his?

It's obvious the cash in Onnoghen's account was acquired via fraudulent means, or else why is the man unable to show the source of the money?

elldeb101:
so on point.
I wonder why we have refused to see buhari for who he really is. The case of gandollar comes to mind but what do i know?

what is gandollar case? when was fayose arraigned? when was sule lamido arraigned? calm down, the same will happen to wike and ganduje. buhari is a respecter of the law

I'm telling you.....we can't thrive has a country with that constitution

9jaRealist:


Thief justice...

Btw, most of our institutions were created by “military kangaroo” - the states, universities, the courts of appeal, the federal high court, NAFDAC, NCC, SON, NUC, etc. We cannot simply pick-and-choose which ones we want to suit our partisan purposes. Accordingly, instead of wallowing in the past, we should be making changes going forward (such as changing the constitution within existing institutions, as desirable).

PS: While the Constitution was enacted by military decree, it was actually drafted by “our intellectuals” (and not only by the Constitution Drafting Committee wrt the 1979 Constitution, on which the present Constitution is based on with some amendments, but also by the constitution review committees between 1979 and 1999). Bad workpeople blame their tools, the Constitution did not cause Onnoghen’s issues.

omenkaLives:
Chukwuma is his name. Of course I am not surprised!!

They are born with a gene that embraces and nurtures everything sordid, dirty, filthy and corrupt.

What a shame.

smh

NgeneUkwenu:
Who awarded this brainless ipob pig SAN?

Na Qouta system SAN