13th January, 2019
Key analysts have said that the plan to arraign Chief Judge of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, over alleged failure to declare assets will change citizens’ perceptions and orientation about laws.
A legal practitioner, Mr. Alieze Ekpa, said that people believed that positions, class and level of an individual would bring less effect of the law against them.
Ekpa disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abakaliki while reacting to the plan to arraign the CJN before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The charges against Onnoghen also include operating bank domiciliary foreign currency accounts in some commercial banks.
“No one is above the law. If he has gone contrary, the law should take it against him.
“Lawlessness in the country is becoming too much,” Ekpa said.
Another legal practitioner, Mr James Ude, said that effectiveness of regular court system was paramount and respect for the rule of law must be bedrock to change people’s orientation about the law.
“If he has gone contrary, action should be taken to serve as deterrent to those who feel they are above the law.
“We need to change our orientation and the beliefs that president is doing this because of tribe,” Ude said.
A political analyst, Mr Ikechukwu Nwonu stated that same charge should be accorded to those defaulting.
“People need to change the ways they talk, behave, like and the earlier we do so the better to move Nigeria forward,” Nwonu said.
The CJN is billed to appear before the Justice Danladi Yakubu led- Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja on six charges bordering on failure to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.
The nation’s Head of the Judiciary is also accused of refusal to declare his assets in breach of the provision of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act.
He is also being accused of maintaining domiciliary foreign currencies account which comprised dollars, pound sterling and Euro accounts which were alleged to be contrary to relevant laws, especially for public office holders.