Monday 19 September 2011

Salami: CJN, lawyers hold secret meeting tomorrow •Over political solution •How NBA misled Nigerians -NEC member

AS earlier exclusively reported by the Nigerian Tribune, judicial stakeholders who favoured a sort of political solution to the controversy trailing the suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, are forging ahead with their plan and have succeeded in getting the ears of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher.
The breakthrough to Musdapher has also led to securing an appointment with him for a secret parley tomorrow (Tuesday), the Nigerian Tribune has learnt.
The group, being led by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (name withheld), reportedly sought and got appointment to see Musdapher 24 hours to his screening at the Senate for confirmation as the substantive CJN.
The Senate screening, as exclusively reported by the Sunday Tribune, had been fixed for Wednesday.
The venue of the meeting is said to have been tentatively scheduled for Musdapher’s main office at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, which is a bit removed from the administrative offices and courtrooms, with a source disclosing that it could be moved to a secret location to avoid prying eyes.
The Tuesday date was reportedly given by Musdapher due to his engagement today, which is the commencement of the new legal year, where his administration policy issues, according to a source, would be unveiled.
The same group is also said to have written to him over the matter, reportedly requesting him to use his 11 months in office to become the hero of judiciary by restoring Salami to office and reconstituting the National Judicial Council (NJC), which is believed to be too pro-former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the Joseph Daudu-led national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) misled the public in his communique at its last national conference in Port-Harcourt that it had taken a decision to withdraw its members from the NJC over the suspension of Salami and the recommendation to President Goodluck Jonathan for his retirement.
A member of the NBA National Executive Council (NEC) and the NJC, as well as a former national president of the Bar, Chief O.C.J Okocha SAN, made this known in a letter to the NEC of the NBA, protesting the communiqué issued at the end of the conference in Port-Harcourt.
The communique issued after the association’s last national conference in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, had stated that the Bar had collectively resolved to shun all activities of the NJC until provisions of the 1999 Constitution barring its members from participating in the sanctioning of judicial officers are reviewed.
The communiqué also noted that the Bar resolved to blacklist any of its members who flouted the directives, especially the newly sworn in Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who were ordered by the Bar leadership to stay away from their investiture, over the Salami issue.
The 30 new silks, however, defied the council, with many lawyers also appearing at their swearing-in ceremony.
They are yet to be sanctioned by the Bar.

Source: Nigerian Tribune

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