21st May, 2012
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) said President Goodluck Jonathan is sending out wrong signals on his administration’s commitment to the rule of law and his status as the President of the whole country rather than being a mere PDP apparatchik, by delaying the reinstatement of Justice Ayo Salami as President of the Court of Appeal, as recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC).
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said every single day that the reinstatement of Justice Salami is delayed deepens the widely-held belief that President Jonathan has more than a statutory interest in the controversial suspension of Justice Salami.
”We call on the President to approve the recommendation of the NJC and reinstate Justice Salami today, because that is the right thing to do, irrespective of the scheming of the hawks in his party and whatever self-serving advice he may be receiving from some aides.
”The jet speed with which the President accepted the recommendation of the same NJC to suspend Justice Salami has placed a huge moral burden on him to stop pandering to the naysayers in his party and approve the NJC’s recommendation reversing its earlier decision.
”The courageous act of the NJC is a reflection of the determination of the judiciary to put an end to a crisis that has dented its image in the eyes of the world. Therefore, it will be most unfortunate if the executive arm of government will be the one fomenting a fresh crisis in the judiciary. This is why President Jonathan must act today, over a week after the NJC made its recommendation,” it said.
ACN said the President must know that his delay in approving the NJC recommendation has emboldened all sorts of characters, including those without locus standi, to institute frivolous lawsuits seeking to stop the reinstatement of Justice Salami.
”For now, we at the ACN have chosen to give the President the benefit of the doubt by not believing published reports that the government may be the one orchestrating these lawsuits, or that its officials were even reportedly distributing some court papers on behalf of one
of the lawyers behind such suits.
”This is because if this is true, it may very well signal the death knell of the judiciary, which will not augur well for the country. A
country where the rule of law is tied to political expediency cannot expect to attract foreign investments or earn any respect in the comity of nations. We therefore hope President Jonathan is listening,” the party said.
ACN commended the media for their fearless and upright role on this issue, as reflected in several newspaper editorials and general reporting of the whole saga, saying the media have again availed itself creditably in carrying out its constitutionally-assigned role.
