Supreme Court: Judge Who Led ‘Coup’ Becomes CJN

By Tosin Olatokunbo

Justice Kayode Ariwoola will be sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN. The magazine learnt that the Ariwoola who is the most senior among the justices of the nation’s apex court, had a moment ago arrived Aso Rock, Abuja where he’s expected to be sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ariwoola, we recalled is among other Supreme Court justices, who last week wrote a protest letter against the outgone CJN Ibrahim Muhammad.

The angry justices had accused their former boss of shortchanging them in running the affairs of Nigeria’s top most court.

Few days after, he’s being moved to head the apex court to replace the CJN who retired on Monday, over what keen watchers of the supreme court said is related to problems about his health.

The Sources understand that baring any last-minute change in the presidency’s protocols, President Buhari will supervise the new CJN while he takes his oaths of office.

‘The honourable justice has arrived Aso Rock this morning, he’s awaiting President Buhari in the National Executive Council, NEC hall where he will take his oath of office. The event will be witnessed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, AGF Abubakar Malami and other federal government officials.,” a top Presidency Source told the magazine on Monday.

13 justices had in a recent protest letter to the CJN, accused him of mismanaging the finance of the court, and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, NJC.

Amongst other allegations, the angry justices accused then former CJN of favouring his spouse and children when it comes to foreign training for justices.

The letter reads in part: “In the past, justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops and trainings per annum with an accompanying person for reasons of age.

“Since Your Lordship’s assumption of office, justices only attended two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons as was the practice.

“Your Lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with  spouse, children and personal staff.

”We DEMAND to know what has become of our training funds, have they been diverted, or is it a plain denial?  Your Lordship may also remember that the National Assembly has increased the budgetary allocation of the Judiciary.

“We find it strange that in spite of the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable.

“There is general lack of concern for justices who require immediate or emergency medical intervention,” they added, even as they equally bemoaned the disconnection of internet services at their chambers and official residence.

“Your Lordship, with all due respect, this is the peak of the degeneration of the court; it is the height of decadence, and clear evidence of the absence of probity and moral rectitude.

“Your Lordship, this act alone portends imminent danger to the survival of this court and the judiciary as an institution, which is gradually drifting to extinction,” the angry justices wrote in the letter titled: “The State of Affairs in the Supreme Court of Nigeria by Justices of the Court”.

Apart from Ariwoola those who signed the letter include: Musa Dattijo Mohammed, Kudirat Motonmori O. Kekere-Ekun, and John Inyang Okoro.

The rest are Chima Centus Nweze, Amina Adamu Augie, Uwani Musa Abba-Aji, Mohammed Lawal, Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju, Abdu Aboki, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.

Meanwhile, the magazine cannot confirm whether the former CJN was forced to resign as a result of the last week’s saga, which many keen watchers of Nigeria’s presidency said rattled Aso Rock, or on health grounds.