Jonathan appoints Dalhatu Adamu as acting PCA •May be sworn in today •NBA threatens to boycott new SANs’ inauguration

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Sunday, approved the suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami, in accordance with the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC),
which also recommended his retirement.
A statement by the spokesman to the president, Dr Reuben Abati, confirmed that President Jonathan has upheld the recommendation of the NJC.
The statement confirms the story contained in our sister publication, the Sunday Tribune edition of August 21, which indicated that President Jonathan will act on the recommendations of the NJC once it gets to his table.
The statement indicated that the president was in receipt of a correspondence by the NJC recommending the compulsory retirement of Justice Salami.
It added that the president has approved his suspension from office until all issues relating to his suspension were resolved.
The statement also indicated that the approval was in accordance with Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The president, according to the statement, also approved the appointment of Justice Dalhatu Adamu as acting President of the Court of Appeal pending the resolution of all materrs relating to Salami’s suspension.
The statement with the title “Appointment of Acting President of Court of Appeal,” stated that the appointment of the Acting PCA was in accordance with the powers granted the President in Section 238(4) by the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The statement read in part: “His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, is in receipt of a correspondence dated 18 August, 2011 from the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommending the compulsory retirement of Justice Isa Ayo Salami (OFR) in accordance with section 292(1)ai) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Consequently, Mr President, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by Section 238(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, approved the acting appointment of Hon Justice Dalhatu Adamu to perform the functions of the President of the Court of Appeal, pending when all issues relating to the office of the President of Court of Appeal are resolved.”
Justice Adamu, of the Sokoto Division of the appellate court, was sighted at the court’s headquarters in Abuja last Friday and reportedly met with Salami, though there was no news of briefing or handing over.
He was said to have left the headquarters, where Salami’s office is domiciled before the suspended PCA, who worked all the hours in his office, left at about 5.30 p.m.
Also sighted within Salami’s office was another senior justice, who heads a division of the court.
Adamu, according to the 1999 Constitution (As Amended), can only spend three unrenewable months in acting capacity, before a substantive PCA is appointed.
He is favoured to retain the job in substantive capacity.
Salami would have retired in 2013.