MMWGN reacts to CJN Tanko Muhammad’s resignation, Judiciary ‘imbroglio’, asks Zamfara Governor to stop gun acquisition order

*Blasts ‘medulous interlopa” for misunderstanding in Judiciary

*Describes Zamfara guns acquisition order as step further to anarchy

*Dissolve Police Service Commission, reconstitute if it is failing to meet the nation’s need

By KEMI KASUMU

Following resignation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, on ground of ill-health and President Muhammadu Buhari’s subsequent swearing-in of the most senior Supreme Court Justice, Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has made its reaction.

He reacted to the CJN’s resignation and Acting CJN appointment just as it also reacted to the order given to Nigerians of Zamfara State residence to acquire guns to defend themselves.

The MMWGN, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, said:

“For the past few weeks, the misunderstanding between Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on one hand, and Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, has been circulating in the public domain.

“The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, worried by this development, has called on the Judiciary Leadership in the country to close ranks and work together as a team to promote the good image of the country,” it said.

According to the statement, it was disturbing that the nation’s apex judicial functionaries allowed people, who ordinarily should not meddle in their affairs, to occupy the front-burner in championing the cause of settlement of their disagreement. “This is highly worrisome”, Abdullahi expressed dismay.

The Group said, “It is embarrassing to see that legal practitioners, who under normal circumstances should not dabble into their official matter, secretly or openly because of their position as clients to litigants, now openly parade themselves being ready to provide solutions to the crisis. With utmost respect to those involved, this is disgusting and has never happened in the history of judicial process in Nigeria.

“More worrisome is a legal practitioner, who claimed to have gone to court to obtain a judgement to compel the nation’s judiciary to increase the remuneration packages of Nigerian Judges and Justices. This is turning to a comedy and highly disgraceful,” the Group maintained.

For some legal professionals to ‘cash-upon’ a disagreement in a ‘Judicial Family’ to want to ridicule the 3rd Arm of Federal Government in this manner, the Muslim Media Watch Group said, it is highly unwarranted, nauseating and condemnable.

“The only intervention that is required is for the National Assembly and the Executive to review upwards the fiscal allocation to the Judiciary as from this year even if it requires virement as quickly as possible – “so as to put a halt to dancing naked in the market’s square as its happening now”, the Group maintained.

The Media Watch said it is unfortunate that ethnic and religious bigots started catching upon the current feud to insinuate on the removal of former CJN Hon. Justice Walter Onogen that occurred some years back, who had a serious case over non- declaration of assets worth multi-billion Naira in his Assets Declaration with Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and other issues, which led to his suspension and subsequently premature retirement, which he did voluntarily.

“They have forgotten that the learned Jurist was supposed to have been tried even by the NJC again but was let-go so as to have his (Onoghen) retirement benefits.

“How do you compare that with allegation of shortage of funds which does not allow Judges to perform maximally as a result of lack of electricity, good vehicles and overseas training etc, which were the bone of contention in the present crisis?” The Group queried.

It accused some media of unethical and unprofessional bias for the CJN Tanko Muhammad as if he was the one that removed Justice Onoghen.

MMWG appealed to fuming Justices to ‘sheath their sword’ and join effort to secure sufficient funds for the Judiciary through immediate legislation and early release of funds by the Executive to meet their judicial needs.

It added that this should be the first and the last time such a matter would be blown open through the media or any other platform, while maintaining that, “the nation should not wash its dirty linings in the public.”

Remunerations

On better remuneration packages for Judges and Justices in Nigeria, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria described as medulous interloper, the Legal Practitioner that filed a suit at Federal High Court Abuja seeking a compelling judgement for review of judges remuneration packages.

It said he has no ‘locus standi’ to do so as public and judicial services in Nigeria have their procedure in doing whatever concerns them regarding remuneration packages, welfare, disciplinary actions, promotions and all other matters concerning judicial officers. The Group therefore called on the Presiding Justice to dismiss the suit in its entirety.

MMWG concluded by calling on learned citizens of the country to work hard on leadership recruitment process “as we are about to go into the election year 2023 and what is playing out has to do with faulty leadership in all the arms of governments in Nigeria and laws guiding governance in the country.

Zamfara guns acquisition

In the meantime, the Group has described the order by Governor of Zamfara State, Hon. Mohammed Bello Muttawalle, to citizens of the state to acquire guns to defend themselves, following increasing insecurity problems in the state.

Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, who is Leader of the Media Watch Group, described the order as unlawful as it could lead to anarchy, adding that what that order could cause would be worse than the problem it was intended to solve.

The MMWG cautioned the Zamfara State government that arms and ammunitions are not like pencils and biros that school children buy for literary activities.

While sympathising with the Governor and Zamfara State indigenes over recurring insecurity problems facing them, the Group said what Governor Matawalle could have done was to repeat his visit to the Inspector General of Police and Chief of Army Staff, with a view to asking them to review upwards their strategy in securing the state.

“In fact, in an attempt to secure the state, Governor Mutawalle was already running foul of the law instead of protecting the sanctity of our laws,” the Group noted while calling on him to reverse the order immediately to prevent more harms to the people.

“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy more security forces to Kaduna, Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto and Benue states as well as Abuja FCT in view of negative security reports emanating from the states mentioned and Abuja,” MMWG stated.

The Group concluded by calling for dissolution of the Police Service Commission (PSC) and reconstitution of a new one, if the current one is failing to meet the nation’s need for manpower, training and re-training of police officers and men as low level of police manpower is contributing heavily to the present insecurity situation in Nigeria, it said.