The
new chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen has today
made history by becoming the first southerner to be CJN since 1987 when
Ayo Irikefe retired, as some interesting highlights of his career has
been revealed.
The brief inauguration ceremony of Onnoghen who is expected to act
until the name of substantive CJN is forwarded to the Senate and it is
confirmed, took place inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential
Villa, Abuja, and was witnessed by top government officials.
Below are interesting highlights of the acting Chief Justice of
Nigeria's career: ranging from his pronouncements on culture and
tradition to politics.
Trained in Ghana
Born on December 22, 1950 in Biase, Cross Rivers state, Onnoghen
will be in office till December 2020, barring any circumstances beyond
his control.
He attended the Presbyterian Primary School, Okurike, Biase, from
1959 to 1965 and proceeded to Ghana for his secondary education from
1967 to 1972. He did his A’Level at the Accra Academy in 1972 and
studied law at the University of Ghana, Legon, from 1974 to 1977.
He returned to Lagos to attend the Nigerian Law School between 1977
and 1978, thereafter working as pupil state counsel, ministry of
justice, in Ikeja, Lagos and Ogun states between 1978 and 1979.
From Bar to Bench
Between 1979 and 1988, he was a partner in the law firm of Effiom
Ekong and Company, in Calabar, after which he became principal partner
and head of chamber of Walter Onneghen and Associates, Calabar.
In 1989, he crossed from the bar to the bench as he was appointed a
high court judge by the Cross Rivers state judiciary. He moved on in
1990 to become the chairman, Cross Rivers State Armed Robbery and Fire
Arms Tribunal. He was there for three years.
Onnoghen was appointed chairman of the Failed Bank Tribunal, Ibadan
zone, in 1998, from where he moved on to become a justice of the court
of appeal. In 2005, he was elevated to the supreme court.
Buhari and the new CJN
Annulled Igbo culture
For gender rights activists, April 11, 2014 was not just another
day in the history of Nigeria. That day the supreme court made a
landmark pronouncement in the case of two Igbo women, Gladys Ada Ukeje
and Maria Nweke, who argued that they should have equal access as men to
the inheritance of their parents.
In Igbo culture, women had been disinherited for ages as a result of tradition.
The two women sued the men in their families – and finally got
justice as the case moved from the lower to the highest courts in the
land.
Delivering the unanimous judgment on behalf of Justices Onnoghen,
Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs and John Inyang Okoro, Bode
Rhodes-Vivour declared: “No matter the circumstances of the birth of a
female child, such a child is entitled to an inheritance from her
father’s estate. Consequently, the Igbo customary law, which disentitles
a female child from partaking in sharing of the deceased father’s
estate, is in breach of section 42(1) and (2) of the constitution, a
fundamental rights provision guaranteed to every Nigerian.”
Feminists and gender rights activists celebrated the historic
moment. Now that they have a “friendly” judge as CJN, should they expect
more justice for Nigerian women?
Upheld Rev. King’s death sentence
Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, also known as “Rev. King”, the general overseer
of Christian Praying Assembly, was accused of murdering a member of
his church in 2006.
The Lagos state government prosecuted King and he was convicted to
die by hanging. King appealed his death sentence by the high court which
was affirmed by the court of appeal.
At the supreme court, the panel of justices led by Onnoghen upheld
the decision of the Lagos division of the court of appeal, which had
affirmed the conviction and the sentence.
“The facts of the case could have been lifted from [the] horror film,” the panel led by Onnoghen held.
“This appeal has no merit. The judgement of the court of appeal is
hereby affirmed. The prison sentence that was earlier handed to the
appellant is no longer relevant in view of the death sentence passed on
him.”
Cancelled Yar’Adua’s election
When Muhammadu Buhari, a retired major-general, lost to Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua, governor of his home state, Katsina, in the 2007 presidential
election, he headed for the tribunal.
Buhari argued, among other things, that the election was rigged and that it should be cancelled and a fresh election conducted.
Never in the history of Nigeria had a presidential election been
cancelled, perhaps because of the complications of not having a
substantive president holding fort during a rerun.
Some of these political considerations are believed to have
discouraged the judiciary from ruling decisively on presidential
election petitions. In the end, all who went to the tribunal did so more
for the record than to get justice.
However, Onnoghen was not moved by such sentiments. Along with
George Oguntade and Aloma Muktah (who later became CJN), Onnoghen
annulled Yar’Adua’s election in December 2008 and called for a fresh
one.
However, they were outnumbered by the other justices who agreed
that even though the election was flawed, the irregularities were not
“substantial enough” to lead to a nullification.
These were Justices Idris Kutigi (then CJN), Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu, Niki Tobi (late) and Dahiru Musdapher.
Credits: Punch / TheCable
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