The Federal Government says the directive by the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suspending its
campaign to protest the suspension of Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, is a
face saving measure “ because the party’s
campaign died long ago.’’
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, faulted the party’s action in an in
interview with newsmen on Saturday in Ilorin.
“Which campaign did they suspend? Is it the
campaign that died a long time ago? Let me tell
everybody that their campaign was long dead.
“What is happening is that they are looking for a
face saving device to say that they suspended a
campaign that died a long time ago.
“In any case, is the suspended CJN a member of
their party?. Why is the PDP crying more than the
bereaved? I don’t understand, they should give us
a break,†he said.
The minister said that the party’s action was
suspicious, adding that it was acting a script not
known to many people.
“They are acting as if there is something between
them and the suspended CJN, otherwise, we do
not know why they will suspend the campaign
that was long dead,†he said.
On the public outcry against the suspension of
Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari, the
minister said the critics ignored the real issues
which concern corruption and the need to protect
the judiciary.
He said: “Anybody who read the address of the
president yesterday will know that he laid out the
point and reasons for the action.
“The first is that there are additional evidence
revealing that the suspended CJN refused to
declare millions of dollars in his possession
“More worrisome is the fact that when the
suspended CJN was confronted with the petition
that he failed to declare his asset, he admitted
adducing the reason that he forgot.
“The people that are crying tyranny and
dictatorship should ask where the suspended CJN
amass several millions of dollars which he failed
to declare.
“We are talking about fighting corruption here. Are
those people who are crying wolf saying we
should condone corruption?’’
He said the critics were being “hypocritical and
insincere†to say that it was right for a CJN to be
in possession of millions of dollars unaccounted
for and not declared as required by law.
Mohammed said contrary to the opinions of some
critics, the president acted legally by obeying the
directive of a court of competent jurisdiction to
suspend the CJN.
“The president did not just wake up in the
morning to suspend the CJN. He was acting
based on the order of the Code of Conduct
Tribunal.
“The fundamental question is that where in the
world will a Chief Justice of a country fail to
declare his asset, confronted with evidence that
millions of dollars flowed into his account and the
only defence will be that he forgot.
†I agree with the president that as soon as those
allegations were made, the right thing he would
have done was to excuse himself.
“I also agree with the president that the alacrity
with which judgments were coming from left right
and centre supporting the CJN is a departure
from slow machinery of justice that we are all
used to,†he said.
The minister stressed that the president’s
suspension of the CJN was sequel to the order of
a competent court and the critics should look
beyond sentiments. (NAN)
Source: thenationonlineng.net/onnoghen-fg-carpets-pdp-for-suspending-campaign/
