The Rise Of Tanko Muhammad, JSC, From Acting CJN To ‘Permanent’ Acting CJN: We Saw It Coming …

The Rise Of Tanko Muhammad, JSC, From Acting CJN To ‘Permanent’ Acting CJN: We Saw It Coming

…Intersociety
Intersociety: 20^th April 2019: From the report of the Premium Times few hours ago, the three months interim tenure of the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Justice Tanko Muhammad, scheduled to expire on 25^th April 2019, just been extended by the President on controversial recommendation of the NJC. The second 90 days extension elapses on 25^thJuly 2019. Mr. Justice Tanko Muhammad was presidentially first appointed for 90 days interim capacity under controversial circumstances on 25^th Jan 2019 following the controversial removal same day of the now voluntarily retired CJN, Mr. Justice Walter Onnoghen.

By the foregoing, therefore, the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law has not only been vindicated following its two earlier alarms raised in its statements of 18^thand 19^thApril 2019 (see www.intersociety-ng.org ), but also as it preemptively and correctly pointed out, the Acting CJN is on his way to breaking another dark history in Nigeria as the country’s ‘permanent’ Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria or longest serving “Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria; meaning that Nigerians and members of the international community should expect another NJC ‘recommended’ extension on or before 25^th July 2019 and subsequent ones on continuous basis until the ‘permanent’ Acting CJN reaches his retirement age of 70years by 31^st December 2023 or seven months after the end of the tenure of this present central Government of Nigeria (if not ousted judicially by electoral Supreme Court).

Mr. Justice Tanko Muhammad was officially born on 31^st Dec 1953 and will be due for retirement as a Justice of Supreme Court of Nigeria (JSC) on 31^st Dec 2023. The mandatory age of retirement for Supreme Court Justices in Nigeria is 70yrs. Police CP Ibrahim Magu was the first to break the dark history as Nigeria’s longest serving “Acting Chairman” of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, without senatorial confirmation; having been appointed on 9^th November 2015; a position he remains till date without senatorial confirmation.

One of the chief aims behind the decision of the Presidency to keep some persons appointed into top public positions (including Acting CJN) in capacity without senatorial confirmation seems to be to cover the dark sides of such appointees from being publicly exposed during their senatorial confirmation processes; capable of stalling their confirmations. Such dark sides and other necessary information include issues of moral decency or uprightness, job or position competence or otherwise, authenticity or otherwise of their academic qualifications and professional or career backgrounds; family and social lifestyles, corruption and economic status and other troubling personal information capable of being senatorially or publicly unearthed. The consequences of these usually lead to such plum public office appointees being presidentially remote-controlled or used in doing its selfish and parochial biddings; stripping them of independence, integrity, impartiality and public accountability.

Intersociety had in its statement of yesterday, 19^th April 2019 accused the Buhari/Osinbajo Administration of reckless resort since June 2015 to crooked technicalities in matters of policies and governance of the country, instead of doing the right thing at the right time. We had also pointed out clearly that “if the Buhari/Osinbajo Administration could not utilize 90 days of 25^th Jan to 25^th April 2019 in transmitting to the Senate the NJC recommended nominee(s) to be confirmed as Nigeria’s next substantive CJN, then the same Administration would not get it done if given fresh 90 days (25^th April to 25^th July 2019); especially when considering the fact that the incoming 9^th Senate will have less than 50 days after its presidential proclamation on 5^th June 2019 or there about to attend to the same issue alongside other piled up top legislative matters including administrative hiccups, etc arising from the newness of many of its members”.

Signed:
For: Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law

· Emeka Umeagbalasi
Board Chair
· Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq.
Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Program
· Chidimma Evan Udegbunam, Esq.
Head, Campaign & Publicity Department
· Contacts:
Mobile Line: +2348182411462, +2348174090052
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.intersociety-ng.org