NBA PRESIDENCY: QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO UNJUSTLY VILIFY DR. AJIBADE ON ACCOUNT OF EX CJN ONNOGHEN.
By Crescent I. Odo
In 2019, a group of respected senior lawyers including Prof
Ernest Ojukwu, SAN, Mr. Jubril S. Okutepa, SAN, Mr Seni Adio, SAN, (the current
SBL Chairman), Mr Supo Shasore, SAN (a former Attorney-General of Lagos State),
Mr Osaro Eghobamien, SAN, Dr Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, Mr Yemi Candide-Johnson,
SAN, and Mrs Funke Adekoya, SAN, under the auspices of the Justice
Reform Project (JRP), had issued a statement calling for judicial reform. This
statement was issued in the aftermath of the illegal suspension of the then
CJN.
In the said statement, the senior lawyers had called
for the reform of the process for the appointment and discipline of judges.
They had also called for the reform of the process of disciplining lawyers, the
reform of the process of elevation of lawyers to the rank of senior advocate,
the reform of the process of appointment of members to the Body of Benchers
among others.
I have
read the statement issued, then, by the JRP and no where did the JRP call for
the removal of Onnoghen CJN. I could not see anywhere where the statement
supported the illegal and unconstitutional manner in which the former CJN was
removed.
This notwithstanding, some of the supporters of
a candidate for the NBA President are intent on completely twisting the facts
and rewriting history in a desperate bid to suggest that Dr Ajibade, SAN and
the JRP supported the illegal removal of the former CJN. They even have gone as
far as to say that Dr Ajibade, SAN signed a letter calling on the Government to
remove Onnoghen.
In all their smear campaign, they have not
produced the full statement issued by JRP. They have not produced the letter
purportedly signed by Dr Ajibade, SAN. All they have done is quote statements
out of context and distort newspaper reports. We are lawyers and can read.
These smear campaigners should publish the full statement by JRP and let
lawyers read them and make up their minds.
Dr Ajibade, SAN is a man who is committed to
judicial reform. He has spoken out against corruption in the judiciary and at
the Bar. No well-meaning lawyer can deny the fact that there is corruption at
the Bar and on the Bench. We need more transparency in the way in which judges
are appointed, elevated and disciplined. We need more transparency in the
process by which privileges in the profession are awarded. Dr Ajibade, SAN has
been in the vanguard of pushing for reform of these processes and of the
administration of justice.
Before I end this piece, it's important to
highlight the hypocrisy of these smear campaigners. They have rigorously celebrated
the endorsement of their candidate by Supo Shasore, SAN, Seni Adio, SAN and
Osaro Eghobamien, SAN but conveniently forgot to tell lawyers that these are
three prominent members of JRP who also subscribed to the statement that they
now want to use manipulatively for election purposes. We are a noble profession
and that nobility should be seen in all our processes including our electoral
process.
My view.
Crescent Ikechukwu Odo Esq
(Uyo,
Akwa Ibom State)
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