The Presidency has lambasted the National Judicial Council for reinstating suspended judges under probe, accusing the body of condoning corruption.
Special Adviser to the President on Prosecutions, Okoi Obono-Obla, declared that the council was working against government and that the presidency was disappointed.
He lamented the hasty reinstatement and stated that the NJC was fully aware of the plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arraign the judges in question.
The Presidential aide, however, advised the suspended judges not to resume as they would soon be arraigned.
Obono-Obla said: “I can assure you that the NJC was aware of the intention of the EFCC to file criminal proceedings against those judges. So, why the hurry? Some of those judges also have several petitions written against them to the knowledge of the NJC so what is the hurry?
“We were in the process of charging them to court and the NJC is aware that the EFCC was in the process of charging these judges to court and as I said earlier, there are also complaints, petitions from members of the public against these judges; so, why have they not looked into some of these petitions?
“The impression is that they (NJC members) are trying to protect some of these judges. Apart from the criminal allegations against them, there are several petitions against these judges.
“The NJC will just have to suspend them again. The judges should be stopped from sitting from today because they will soon be charged to court; I can assure you.”
The President’s aide said he was particularly disappointed that the NJC reinstated Justice Ademola, whose case was still under appeal.
His words: “An appeal is not tantamount to a stay of execution but we are talking of a judge’s integrity; the reputation of the judge, the credibility of the judiciary. This is a judge whose credibility is at stake.
“He was arraigned for allegedly collecting bribes. He was discharged and acquitted and the decision was appealed. If I were that judge, I would not sit until the appeal is heard because members of the public will not have confidence in his court and the judicial system relies on the confidence of the people.”
Judges reinstated are Justice John Okoro of the Supreme Court; Justice Uwani Abba Aji of the Court of Appeal; Justice Hydiazira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court; Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, who has been discharged and acquitted; Justice Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court; and Justice Agbadu Fishim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
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