HIGHLIGHT – Justice Walter Onnoghen
Senate President Bukola Saraki has stressed that the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, cannot afford to fail.
Justice Walter Onnoghen
According to him, Onnoghen has enough time in his tenure to carry out fundamental reforms of the judiciary.
The Senate President spoke to State House correspondents on the sidelines of the swearing in ceremony at the State House, Abuja.
The CJN was sworn-in by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of former CJNs members of the Federal Executive Council, Justices of the Supreme Court and his family members, among others.
Onnoghen, has about four years before retiring from the job as head of Nigeria’s judiciary.
Saraki also called for cooperation among all arms of government to enable judicial reforms work, and that the Senate would work with the new CJN on that.
He said: “We want to see a judiciary that also cooperates with other arms of government in doing a lot of reforms. And I think he has about four years, and that gives time for a lot of reforms in the judiciary.
“I am confident that with time on his side and his commitment to some of the issues he has talked about in trying to ensure that the judiciary is independent, the rule of law; lot is expected of him.
“Normally, sometimes CJNs have a very short period of time, but he will have no excuse not to deliver on the reforms in the judiciary. We hope he does that and we wish him all the best.
“There are so many issues that he talked about when he was being screened by the Senate and he has given us the assurance.
“I think with the time that he has he should deliver and I am confident that he will deliver and we’ll continue to support in our own part in doing that.
“That same way, we need to give support, for example, to the constitutional review that will also address some of the issues that will make the judiciary more efficient.”
The Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade, was conspicuously absent at the ceremony. He was also absent when Onnoghen was sworn in as Acting Chief Judge on November 10 last year.
