On-president-buharis-acceptance-of-onnoghens-retirement-as-cjn-not-an-encouraging-development

President Muhammadu Buhari (Right) and Walter Onoghen (Left)

ON PRESIDENT BUHARI'S ACCEPTANCE OF ONNOGHEN'S RETIREMENT AS CJN - NOT AN ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT
With reports that President Muhammad Buhari has accepted the retirement letter of suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, we believe the President ought not to have given his consent and approval on this sensitive issue upon which, future precedents in the nation's judiciary is predicated on.
Onnoghen has been enmeshed in a false asset declaration scandal since January 2019, as upon resuming office as CJN, failed to declare a domiciliary US dollar account, a domiciliary euro account, a domiciliary (Pound Sterling) account, an E-saver savings (Naira) account and a Naira account, all maintained with a Nigerian bank in Abuja, as part of the compulsory asset declaration form. Onnoghen, 68, was actually due for retirement in 2020, but he turned in his resignation letter as CJN on April 4, 2019, to save himself from Prosecution. And sadly, President Buhari has let him off the hook, and that automatically means Onnoghen, as a retired CJN, would receive N2.5 billion as retirement package.
This, to us, is not a good precedent and an example that would encourage the fight against corporate misconduct, especially in the nation's judiciary. We have reiterated it severally that if the evidence against Onnoghen will make him be found guilty by the NJC, then he ought to be made to face the consequences of his actions before the law. And not allowed to go scot free through 'retirement' (with full benefits), and his initial retirement date is just next year.
If a man who steals a goat is prosecuted and jailed by the judiciary, then why Onnoghen whose case is more serious should, be exonerated? Why should Onnoghen go scot free? What example are we setting before our younger future generations by this act? I strongly believe people should be made to pay for the consequences of their actions, so that others will learn from it.
If we must as a nation, encourage a peaceful and business-friendly atmosphere in the polity, then they ought to have treated Onnoghen's case as one of the common criminals, as indicted by the NJC. With this development, we should stop blaming the Security Operatives for some of their failures. The efforts of the Security Operatives in apprehending suspected criminals will be in vain if these indicted big wigs are given a soft landing or slap on the wrist, and prevent the full blow of the law.
 
Zik Gbemre.
 
 
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