Why Onnoghen Must Clear His Name Before The Code Of Conduct Tribunal

The decay at the Supreme Court did not start with Hon. Justice Onnoghen but many years ago. Hon Justice Uwaifo in his valedictory party, first drew the nations attention to the rot at the Supreme Court. He accused the CJN then of awarding contracts to his wives. In fact, Justice Wais was accused of awarding balooned contract to his second wife, then a lawyer. The accusation was made by a  group known as Derivative Front believed to be based in South South of Nigeria. Exactly on 21st June 2005, Mr Ephraim Duru had appeared before the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/ 161/2001, THE HONDA PLACE vs. GLOBE MOTORS  to argue his application for transfer of a motion then pending before the Supreme Court from the Supreme Court Panel chaired by Justice Uwais  to another Panel on grounds of likelihood of bias based on corruption. Uwais was accused of ordering for supply of several pieces of honda vehicles from Honda Place even when a dispute of who between Honda Plate and Globe Motors had the sole distributorship right of Honda vehicles in Nigeria. The allegetion also carried the fact that certain pieces of honda vehicles  were supplied to the Supreme Court by Honda plate. Ephraim Duru was haunded by very many senior Advocates of Nigeria and NBA threatened to prosecute Ephraim Duru and also to take him before LPDC. It took the courage of four Aba lawyers; Ukpai Ukairo, O.O.Anyadikw, Victor C. Nwaugo and AGE Nwachukwu to stand to the defence of Ephraim Duru both in court and NBA NEC meeting in Aba. There was a write-up tagged " BEFORE EPHRAIM DURU IS CRUCIFIED" which was well circulated before NEC members who came for meeting in Aba wherein  the role of Ephraim Duru in that case was well explained. Uwais succeeded in intimidating Duru but he failed to impress in our minds that he was innocent. Lord Chancellor of England from where we borrowed our system, Lord Francis Bacon was convicted of corruption, Lord Macclesfied was reputed for his prolific demands for percuniary aggrandizement. Both suffered the consequences of their actions. Our own Justices Onnoghen is facing a charge of breach of Code of Conduct as a public officer and all you hear some lawyers raise is " PDP this way" 'A PC that way', 'son of Niger Delta' etc. Some quote irrelivant case of Ngajiwa vs. FRN  without querrying Onnoghen's innocence in the accusation. The man, Justice  Onnoghen has in the case of Ahmed vs. Ahmed 2014, Vol 231 of LRCN stated the position of the law that any charge bordering on breach of Code of Conduct by a public officer under schedule 5 is exclusively triable by CCT. So, the actions we take today or the things we say today, may hunt us tomorrow. For me, Hon Justice Onnoghen, how do you plead; guilty or not guilty? Only bold step towards this direction will clear your name. Any other thing, be it injunction or directives of 4 Niger Delta governors will end up giving you a permanent tag of a corrupt man in our minds. Thanks.

 Victor C. Nwaugo Esq. Is an Aba based lawyer.