A pro-democracy group, Human
Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Tuesday urged the judiciary
to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to obey “subsisting” court orders.
HURIWA made the appeal while
lamenting the continued incarceration of former National Security Adviser, NSA,
Col Sambo Dasuki and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria also known
as Shiite, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
The body called on the Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, President of Court of Appeal, Mrs.
Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa and Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Adamu
Abdul-Kafarati to “fashion out a sustainable response mechanism” that could
avoid the collapse of the judicial system in Nigeria.
HURIWA made the call in a
statement signed by its Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The statement reads partly:
“Vexed by the lackluster and lackadaisical attitudes of the heads of the three
mainstream Courts to the flagrant violations of subsisting court orders by
President Muhammadu Buhari, we task them to defend the integrity of the court
system.
“We challenge the Chief Justice
of Nigeria, Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen; President of court of
Appeal Mrs. Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, and Chief judge of federal high court, Mr
Adamu Abdul-Kafarati to work as a team and support the head of the judiciary in
Nigeria being the Chief Justice of Nigeria to fashion out a sustainable
response mechanisms that could compel the head of the executive arm of
government to comply with all binding court orders to avoid the collapse of
constitutional democracy in the Country.
“We insists that the hierarchy of
the judicial system in Nigeria is needed now more than ever to show courageous
leadership by standing on the side of the constitution to demand strict
adherence to the tenets of the principle of rule of law because allowing the
naked desecration of the temple of justice by one branch of government and to
continue to pretend that all is well will not augur well for sustainable
democracy.
“Democracy survives when all the
primary drivers of the process are compelled by all lawful means to comply with
the binding rules governing constitutional democracy and most especially the
rule of law.”
The group “specifically condemned
the heads of the different courts in the country for doing nothing whilst the
head of the executive arm of government continues to disregard court rulings
which amount to an unconstitutional conducts, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the
President of Court of Appeal and the Chief of Federal High Court are
collectively charged to salvage the image of the court system and restore it to
its constitutional pride of place.”
HURIWA carpeted judges heading
the diverse segments of the judiciary in Nigeria for “failing to exercise their
powers such as boycotting all cases filed by the presidency and the office of
the Attorney General of the Federation until such a time the president complies
with half a dozen binding bail orders in favour of erstwhile National Security
Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki and the leader of Shiites Islamic Movement,
Ibrahim El-zazaky.”
The body noted that “time is not
on our side to stop the coming catastrophe that may come by the persistence of
these cumulative breaches of the principle of rule of law.
“How does the chief justice of
Nigeria; the president of court of Appeal and Chief Judge of Federal High Court
feel every day they go to work to realize that the head of the executive arm of
government has consigned several binding judgments of courts to the dustbin of
impunity?
“Why not embark on peaceful
boycott of cases instituted by the President? What is the essence of operating
the institution of the judiciary when the holder of the office of President
picks and chooses which decisions of the courts to obey?,” HURIWA queried.
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