NJC recommends sack of justice Ononogbo

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Justice Nasir Gummi To Go On Compulsory Retirement

The National Judicial Council (NJC), under the chairmanship of Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has suggested the expulsion of Justice Ugbo Ononogbo of the Abia State High Court of Justice and the necessary retirement from office of Justice Nasir Gummi of Zamfara State High Court of Justice with quick impact.

An announcement issued yesterday by NJC's Director of Information, Soji Oye, said the choice to suggest the sack of Justice Ononogbo, which was come to at its 80th meeting hung on December 14 and 15, depended on the discoveries by the Council on appeal to composed against him by Mr. Urum Udensi Ifegwu.

The appeal to peruse: "That in a suit No: HOH/25/2013; Mrs. Nnenna Enweliku and 4 Ors Vs Udensi Dike Udensi and 2 Ors, made a sweeping request for the installment of unascertained sum as Estate expense from the Access Bank Account recently Lord Chief Dike Udensi Ifegwu to the Probate Registrar of the High Court.

"The Assistant Chief Registrar, Probate Division of the Court, Mr. Udeka U. C. was said to have adjusted the request of the Judge in a letter to Access Bank asking for the bank to discharge the total of N200 million into the individual record of E. M. Ojiako, Esq, Counsel to the Applicant in the Suit, a demand which the bank declined to respect.

"The Judge likewise allowed a moment Order to abandon the principal Order, guiding the bank to pay any cash evaluated by the Probate Registrar for the Estate charge recently Lord Chief Dike Udensi Ifegwu into the individual record of E. M. Ojiako, Esq, without finding out the evaluation made by the Probate Registrar.

"Out of the N200 million pulled back as a consequence of the second Order, E. M. Ojiako, Esq just paid the aggregate of N83 million to the Probate Registry.

"That there were disparities between the representations of gatherings in the Order made by the Respondent and the representation of gatherings in the Record Book of the Court to which Justice Ugbo Ononogbo conceded that he didn't vet the Order before marking same and that it was an oversight."

Aside prescribing the rejection of Justice Ononogbo to the Governor of Abia State, NJC likewise suggested that the Judge, the Assistant Chief Registrar, Probate Division of Abia State High Court, Udeka N. C., and E. M. Ojiako, Esq be given over to the Police for examination.

The Council additionally chose to report E. M. Ojiako, Esq to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Disciplinary Committee for examination.

The Abia State Judicial Service Commission is relied upon to make suitable move against the Assistant Chief Registrar, Probate Division, Udeka N. C after examination of the assertions.

Likewise, Justice Gummi was prescribed for obligatory retirement from office to Zamfara State Governor, Abdul Aziz Yari Abubakar, taking after the discoveries of Council on affirmations brought against him.

The appeal to held "that the Judge neglected to convey judgment in Suit No: ZMS/GS/13/2013, Chiroma Vs Forte Oil Plc, very nearly 23 months after the last address by all Counsel in the Suit, as opposed to the protected arrangements that judgments ought to be conveyed inside a time of 90 days.

"That the judgment in the Suit was adjusted by changing "expulsion" to "struck out" to which his Court Registrar, Hayatu Wadata Bungudu, conceded was finished by him, after which he educated the Judge on telephone, as he was out of the state at the time.

"That the Judge expected purview in the matter by a decision, just to reject a similar activity 22 months after, for absence of locale, after the reason for activity had passed."

The Council said it would keep in touch with the Zamfara State Judicial Service Commission to make suitable move against Bungudu for modifying his judgment.

Chamber at the meeting likewise made plans to issue a letter of solid cautioning to Justice D. O. Oluwayemi of Lagos State Judiciary for giving an Ex-parte Order in Suit No: LD/2393LMW/16, depending on an oath of direness, which uncovered no danger of annihilation of rights or enthusiasm for the topic of the debate without putting the other party on notice.

"Another letter of caution will be issued by the Council to Justice M. A. Savage of High Court of Lagos State for holding talks with Complainant's Counsel in Suit No: LD/179/2000, which he had judicially followed up on, and for serving as an extension amongst him and the other party's Counsel."

The charges against Justices Ononogbo and Gummi constitute offense, in spite of Sections 294 (1) and (6) of the 1999 Constitution and Rules 3 (i), 11(ii) and 2 of the NJC Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers.

Then, NJC, in the practice of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution, has suspended Justices Ononogbo and Gummi from office with quick impact, pending the endorsement of the proposals of the Council for their rejection and obligatory retirement, separately, from office by their individual state governors.