The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), rose from its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Monday in Abuja, with a resolve to embark on a “two-day warning boycott” of courts nationwide, beginning today, Tuesday, January 29, 2019; to drive home their displeasure of the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen without due process.
“This is to register the discontent of the NBA with the incident that has happened, and the fact that due process was not followed with regards to the matter of the Chief Justice of Nigeria,” NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro, said after the NEC meeting. “The decision of NEC is that, to show the displeasure of the body of lawyers with regards to what has happened so far, it has been decided by the NBA NEC that lawyers should go on a two-day boycott of courts nationwide. That is from tomorrow, Tuesday Jan. 29 and also Wednesday, Jan. 30, all lawyers should stay away from courts,” Usoro said.
The NBA president also said that the association had set up a committee made up of two past presidents and himself; to dialogue with their colleagues in government and let them understand the association’s position. He said it was basically to make them understand the necessity to properly guide government on the need to follow due process in whatever decisions it took. He said that the committee would be expected to report back to the general body within the next one week. Usoro further said that the NBA NEC also directed that based on the progress made by the committee, the boycott of courts could be resuscitated after the two days.
He said there would be no need to sanction lawyers for flaunting the directive as the preponderance of responses from lawyers on the issue has underscored the importance of the rule of law. Usoro said the NBA was hopeful that the government would see reason with the NBA and allow the rule of law to prevail. On whether or not Onnoghen should resign, he said that that was a call for Onnoghen to make.
The NBA decision comes after the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), where Onnoghen is facing charges bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets, adjourned the trial of the suspended CJN indefinitely. At the resumed sitting on Monday, the Danladi-Umar led tribunal adjourned the proceedings pending the determination of a case at the Court of Appeal.
“In view of the Court of Appeal order for stay of proceedings and out of respect for the Court of Appeal, the tribunal hereby adjourns this matter sine-die (indefinitely) pending the determination of the Appeal before the Court of Appeal,” Umar ruled.
Justice Williams Atanze was absent at the proceedings that commenced with two out of the three judges at the Tribunal in attendance. The chairman of the CCT, Justice Umar, and Justice Julie Enabor issued the ex-parte order President Muhammadu Buhari cited in the suspension of Justice Onnoghen.
