The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad has resigned and, set to be replaced by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
According to reports, Justice Muhammad resigned on Sunday night over corruption allegations.
The CJN’s Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Isah Ahuraka confirmed the report.
Justice Ariwoola will be sworn in as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari today.
Ariwoola an indigene of Oyo State is the most Senior Justice Of The Supreme Court.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed has exonerated himself from the financial mess of Justices of the Supreme Court, saying he is not the cause of their financial situation.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the CJ, apparently disturbed by the outbursts of his colleagues, countered their position by stating the fact that budgetary dislocation and poor funding is the cause of their financial woes.
TNG recalls, Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria had revolted against the leadership of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad saying, his tenure has left their allowances and emoluments unpaid despite being allotted N120 billion in the nation’s 2022 budget.
This was contained in a letter sent to Mr Muhammad early this month.
According to the letter sighted by TheNewsGuru.com,(TNG) the justices demanded to know what had happened to their legitimate entitlements under the leadership of justice Tanko.
They wondered how requests for legal assistants, standard health clinic, accommodation for justices, diesel and data allowance had been ignored by the CJN, despite setting up a panel months earlier that he said he would look into the matter.
The committee also requested “the restoration of our monthly Internet allowance, because we require uninterrupted Internet service in order to have access to materials online to write our judgements. Your Lordship received and ignored these demands since 24th March 2022.
“The welfare Committee also submitted our request for diesel allowance, because of the epileptic electricity supply, the astronomical hike in the price of diesel and the fact that Justices required electricity to work at home”.
The justices berated the CJN further, saying his inefficient leadership had drastically deteriorated the standards known with the nation’s highest court.
They were concerned that Supreme Court justices sworn in since November 2020 had yet to be accommodated by the apex Court in spite of his promises.
“Your Lordship promised to take up the issue that day. To date, your Lordship has not taken any step in this direction,” bewailed the justices.
Buttressing their claims, the justices said their mandatory foreign workshops and training three times in a year “with an accompanying person for reason of age” have been on hold under Mr Tanko, who has now limited their options to only Dubai and Tanzania without an accompanying person.
Furious that the CJN travelled with his entire family and personal staff, the justices demanded to know what had become of their allowances despite the judiciary gulping about N120 billion of the nation’s 2022 budget.
“Your Lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children and personal staff,” they said before demanding “to know what has become of our training funds, have they been diverted or is this a plain denial?
“We find it strange that despite the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the Court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable!” The letter added. Their allocation had been increased from N110 billion in 2021 budget to N120 billion in 2022.
The apex judges decried the current state of their health clinic, which they said had been reduced “to a mere consulting clinic” since drugs were not always available to treat minor ailments, thereby endangering justices who may require emergency medical intervention.
The Supreme Court justices also raised concern over an internal memo that forced them to close by 4pm over lack of diesel, an act they said proves the apex Court had sunk into unthinkable depths under Mr Muhammad’s leadership.
According to our sources, the letter which was sent to Mr Muhammad earlier this month, caused further upheavals in the judicial circles. Traditional leaders have tried to wade into the crisis and resolve the dispute bedevilling the ranks of top jurists.
Meanwhile, the CJN has said that he is not responsible for the supreme court justices financial woes but rather attributed the blame to a collective woeful working condition.
Justices Mohammad who was reacting through his spokesman, Mr Ahuraka Isah said, the Federal Government had not reviewed the entitlement of justices for about 15 years now.
He said, “the problem of the judges salaries, allowances and other entitlements was instigated with the lumping of these items in the ’’Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2008.
“For about 15 years the FG is yet to review it. That was what prompted the judiciary or the Supreme Court to devise other allowances to supplement and cushion its adverse effect.
“Come to think of it the FG did not increase judiciary budget for 4 years from 2018 to 2021. Only in 2022 it was increased from N110b to N120b.Yet Buhari government appointed 8 justice for the apex court within the period without budget for it.
“Mind you 2 Supreme Court justices died within the period. Besides, about 4 retired and all that required attendant payment of gratuities and allowances for the departed and retirees.
“The CJN is not the causes of supreme court justices financial woes but a collective woeful working condition. CJN does not close from work till sometimes 7 to 8pm.
“Meanwhile most of the judges complaints have been attended or receiving adequate attention as they were made to known during their meeting with Justice Bage.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, has warned individuals and agencies of the government against any form of harassment and embarrassment of judicial officers in the country.
He gave the caution on Wednesday in Abuja at a special session organised to herald the formal commencement of the 2021/2022 legal year of the Supreme Court.
Justice Muhammad, who appraised the performance of the judiciary in the just-concluded year, was very specific about the siege on the Abuja residence of Justice Mary Odili of the apex court.
“I must say, we were jolted with embarrassing news of the invasion of the official residence of one of our brother Justices, Honourable Justice Mary Peter Odili, on Friday 29th October 2021, by men suspected to be security operatives, acting on a search warrant purportedly obtained from an Abuja Magistrate’s Court under questionable circumstance,” he said.
“I must make it known to all and sundry that we have had enough dosage of such embarrassments and harassments of our judicial officers across the country and we can no longer take any of such shenanigans. The silence of the judiciary should never be mistaken for stupidity or weakness.
“By the nature of our work, we are conservative but not conquered species and should not be pushed further than this by any individual, institution, or agency of the government. With time, those taking the judiciary as a mere weakling will soon realise that it is from the calmest seas, we often experience the fiercest storms.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad has called on judges in the country to desist from giving incessant ex-parte orders in order not to project the judiciary in a bad light.
He said this on Monday during the 2021 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The CJN said the judges must rise and restore the public confidence bestowed on them by desisting from giving incessant ex-parte orders that have portrayed the judiciary in a bad light.
He further stressed that it is important to have an incorruptible judiciary, as it is the desire of the citizenry that justice must be done without delay at all times, and be seen to have been done.
The CJN added that judicial officers need to rise to the challenge and restore public confidence in the ability to dispense justice without fear or favour and in line with the knowledge and understanding of the law.
He stated that the creditable performance of the Judiciary and its timely intervention prevented the present democratic status of the country from collapsing
He also called for more funding for the judiciary.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari, promises more funding to the judiciary.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, has ordered a disciplinary action against a judge of the Upper Area Court in Abuja who recently issued a direct criminal summons against, Charles Soludo.
Mr Soludo, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the forthcoming election in Anambra State, is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Gambo Garba of the Upper Area Court, Zuba, Abuja, had in July, issued a direct criminal summons against Mr Soludo over his alleged failure to declare his assets while serving as the CBN governor between 29 May , 2004 and 29 May , 2009.
The complainant, Oliver Bitrus, had alleged that Mr Soludo held the CBN governor’s office as a public officer flagrantly violating the Code of Conduct for public officers by buying property not attributable to his legitimate earnings.
The direct criminal summons issued by the Upper Area Court was an approval to Mr Bitrus to prosecute Mr Soludo at the court.
However, the CJN, who had earlier warned judges against issuing orders that are capable of exposing the judiciary to public scrutiny, was said to have been embarrassed by the action of the Upper Area Court which lacked jurisdiction to entertain such matters.
A source in the office of the CJN who spoke under condtion of anonymity to journalists said the Acting Chief Judge of the FCT, Hussein Baba Yusuf, who is Chairman of JSC, is expected to submit findings of the Committee on the matter, within 21 days.
“The CJN ordered the immediate initiation of disciplinary action after his attention was drawn to the matter.
“Charges bordering on false declaration of assets are exclusively vested in the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, but the Upper Area Court Judge assumed jurisdiction contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution”, the source added.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tanko Mohammed has directed the Judicial Service Committee (JSC) of the FCT, Abuja to immediately initiate disciplinary action against the Upper Area Court Judge who issued direct Criminal Summons against the Anambra State APGA governorship candidate Professor, Chukwuma Soludo.
This directive was issued to the JSC under the Chairmanship of the Acting Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Husseini Yusuf-Baba last week and confirmed by the spokesperson of the NJC, Soji Oye.
The Abuja Upper Area Court, presided over by Gambo Garba had in July 2021 issued a direct Criminal Summons against Prof. Soludo over perjury, corruption and false assets declaration, an action which is said to be completely outside the jurisdiction of the Court.
The court said the criminal summons against Soludo was for alleged serial abuse of office and breach of Code of Conduct for public officers when he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria between 29 May 2004 – 29 May 2009.
The acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory is expected to submit his findings to the CJN within 21 days.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the CJN recently met with the Chief Judges of FCT, Rivers, Kebbi, Cross Rivers, Jigawa, Anambra and Imo States and directed them to admonish the judges in their jurisdictions on the danger of granting ex parte injunctions.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammed, on Monday held a marathon meeting with the six chief judges invited over the conflicting ex parte orders emanating from different courts across the country.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that in law, Ex-parte order of interim injunction is a constitutional leverage specifically given to Judges to make an order in exceptional circumstance granting the request of an applicant in a suit in the interim without hearing from the other party.
A statement from the spokesperson of the NJC, Soji Oye, revealed that the meeting which commenced at 11am lasted till 5:30pm, with the Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT also in attendance.
He said the CJN first had a one-on-one interaction with the CJ of the FCT, Abuja, and then the CJs of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Jigawa, Anambra, and Imo.
Meanwhile, TNG gathered that the Chief Judge of Delta State was not present at the meeting. TNG could not establish if the Delta Chief Judge was formally excussed from the meeting having been initially summoned along with five others by the CJN.
“Each of the CJs present was separately quizzed personally by the CJN for over an hour before he later read the riot act in a joint session with all of them,” the statement said.
“A damage to one jurisdiction is a damage to all,” the CJN, who was said to be visibly angry, was quoted as telling the judges. “We must, therefore, put an end to indiscriminate granting of ex parte orders, conflicting judgements or rulings occasioned by forum-shopping.
“Your job as Heads of Court is a sacred one, and it, therefore, includes you vicariously taking the sins of others. There must be an end to this nonsense.
“You shall henceforth take absolute charge in assigning cases or matters, especially political personally. We shall make an example with three judges and never shall we condone such act.”
Three of the judges who granted conflicting ex parte orders have been invited to appear before the NJC to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for granting such orders.
The statement was, however, silent on the identity of the affected judges.
Justice Muhammed also warned all the CJs to avoid unnecessarily assuming jurisdiction in matters with similar subjects and parties already before other courts, so as to protect the court from lawyers who were out for forum-shopping.
He advised them to work in tandem with all their judges to salvage the image of the judiciary.
The CJN warned the CJs to desist from the practice of designating newly appointed judicial officers as vacation judges and assigning complex cases to inexperienced judges.
He advised all heads of court to be current on the developments in the polity and the judgments delivered by courts of various jurisdictions and to urgently issue practice direction to guide judges in their various courts to avoid giving conflicting decisions.
Justice Muhammed concluded that the judiciary would no longer condone indiscipline or allow any judge to tarnish the image of the judiciary.
The NJC is to invite all heads of courts to a meeting to re-emphasise the need for the judiciary to be circumspect on the issue of granting ex parte orders.
It will also meet and collaborate with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the same issue.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman National Judicial Council (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad has demanded the records of proceedings in all the suits on which conflicting exparte orders were given.
Spokesperson of the National Judicial Council, Soji Oye confirmed the development.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that that the Chief Judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross Rivers, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo states are to meet with the CJN on Monday, September 6, to answer questions on the controversial conflicting orders delivered in their various states.
There are indications that the Chief Judge, of Delta State, has also been invited to join the other six Chief Judges to meet with the CJN tomorrow.
This may not be unconnected with the exparte order which reportedly restrained the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, from parading himself as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national caretaker committee.
The CJN is also expected to meet with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association in the course of the week, over the issue.
The unprecedented move by the leadership of the judiciary is aimed at resetting the anti-corruption efforts of the CJN and entrenching a new culture of accountability in the judicial system.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammad has summoned the Chief Judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo State to an emergency meeting.
This is part of efforts to stem the recent wave of embarrassing and conflicting exparte orders emanating from judges in their jurisdictions.
In a letter of invitation dated 30th of August, 2021 and sighted by our judiciary correspondent, the CJN summoned the head of the concerned courts to the emergency meeting to brief him on the incessant granting of the conflicting orders on suits instituted by different political parties before the various courts.
The Spokesperson of the NJC, Soji Oye confirmed to our correspondent that the letter indeed emanated from the office of the CJN but declined to say on what specific day the meeting has been scheduled for. He however said that the meeting will hold sometime this week.
A part of the invitation letter reads, “My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some courts of coordinate jurisdictions were granting conflicting exparte orders on the same subject matter. It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development. This is even more compelling having regard to an earlier NJC warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in grating exparte applications.”
According to reports, the meeting between the CJN and the Heads of Courts concerned is a prelude to a larger NJC meeting likely to hold next week.
The leadership of the judiciary is said to be embarrassed at the recent developments and the meeting is part of measures to stem the tide and to be seized of the facts before the larger council deliberation.