OPINION: OSINBANJO RESCUES ONNOGHEN FROM BUHARI’S SPITE.

Justice Walter Onnoghen being sworn in as Chief Justice of Nigeria by acting president Yemi Osinbanjo and awarded the rank of GCON.

Author: Erhomosele Happy

After One Hundred and Eleven (111) days since his appointment in acting capacity as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and the controversy that trailed his refusal to be confirmed, Justice Walter Onnoghen was yesterday 7^th March, 2017, sworn in as the new CJN by acting president Yemi Osinbanjo.

It is rather unfortunate that the learned Justice was almost overwhelmed by such injustice just when he was about to attain the peak of his career by the erstwhile Buhari who refused to confirm him as the CJN after the retirement of his predecessor, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed (Rtd).

It will interest you to know that Justice Walter Onnoghen’s swearing in as CJN makes him the 17^th in the History of Nigeria and the first from the Southern part of Nigeria in over 30 years. Justice Onnoghen hails from Biase in Cross- River State and is expected to retire on 22^nd December, 2020.

Buhari’s refusal to confirm Biase native, Onnoghen was undoubtedly connected with the fact that he is not from the north. If he were, his confirmation would not have been spitefully and controversially prolonged.

Read also: Why Nigerians have Forgotten about Buhari.

Although, the erstwhile president of Nigeria, Buhari, had cited corruption as the basis of his refusal to confirm Onnoghen as CJN and in fact, had intended to break judicial tradition by descending to the Nigerian Bar to select a CJN, thereby putting the legal profession to the sword.

But God did not let that happen. Corruption exists everywhere in the country even in the Nigerian Bar from whence Buhari intended appointing a CJN. There was corruption in Buhari’s government and Buhari himself is corrupt.

Thus, corruption could not have been the reason. Corruption was only a decoy to distract us from the fact that Buhari was being vindictive because Onnoghen is not from the north and not a Muslim.

There is no doubt that Buhari’s decisions were tainted by tribalism and religion. In as much as he tried to appear unprejudiced, the fact remains that he was partial. His action, inactions as well as appointments are there to confirm that he was prejudicial.

At some point, I began to wonder why the CJN was always a northerner but I had to desist from such thoughts because they just happen to have been the most senior after every tenure. Goodluck Jonathan did not even raise any issue before he appointed a northerner as CJN. Why? Because he was the most senior. This is a justified tradition that should remain unbroken.

Buhari was not the man we thought he was. He almost turned Onnoghen’s career sour. It is every Supreme Court justice’s dream to be the CJN someday for it is the peak of their career just as teens in secondary schools anxiously look forward to be seniors and prefects and then you tell them that they can’t.

However, Onnoghen’s dream has finally come true having been rescued by acting president Osinbanjo from Buhari’s spite. He stands to testify as one of the many persons grateful for Buhari’s absence while wishing that Buhari continues his vacation infinitely.

Disclaimer: The Opinion expressed in this article is that of the writer alone and does not necessarily represent the position of Routenaija.