Still on CJN Ariwoola’s Political Speech in Rivers

Owen Hercules writes that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, should be shown the way out for his biased position at a recent dinner held in his honour in Port Harcourt by Rivers State Government

My attention was drawn to a recent publication with the headline “I’m happy  Makinde is among the G5 govs” – CJN.

The publication in reference stressed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, backed his kinsman and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for his membership of the G5, also known as the integrity Governors.

The five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party Governors are Nyesom Wike, who is the leader, and Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom who is the Chairman. Others are Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde of Oyo state and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

The aggrieved Governors are calling for equity, fairness and justice in the PDP, specifically insisting that the party’s National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, must step down to pave the way for someone from the South to succeed him, since the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, hails from the North.

Ariwoola spoke during a banquet held in his honour by the Rivers State Governor Wike, in Port Harcourt, penultimate Thursday.

Ariwoola, also from Oyo State, is the Special Guest of Honour to inaugurate projects completed by the Rivers State Government under Wike.

On a lighter note, the CJN said his host (Governor Wike) was threatening to withdraw Makinde’s wife, who is from Rivers, from Oyo, expressing hope that Makinde would emulate Wike to replicate the good works in his state.

Ariwoola said, “That is why we should not be scared to have these men of the integrity group. And I am happy that my own governor is among them because he would try to imitate his friend and in-law because we came here to marry for my governor”.

He said further, “So, Governor Wike will always threaten that he will call back his sister if my governor fails to play ball. That is why you see him following his Excellency (Wike) because my governor is afraid of his wife being recalled”.

He lauded Governor Wike for leaving a legacy in Rivers State worthy of emulation, saying Wike had said time and again he would continue to inaugurate projects until his last day in office.

The CJN also commended the Governor for his support to the judiciary since assumption of office in 2015.

He added, “The things that he (Wike) is bestowing to generations unborn will be hard to beat. That’s why he says it all. Anytime he has the opportunity, he will say. Yes, he would not be in office forever, but whatever time he has to spend in office, let it be spent very well.”

Continuing, he said, “All these things he’s been doing is to put on record that human beings can at any time do far better. I was telling somebody that he (Wike) started far below from being council chairman, and the Lord saw in him a son worth raising.

“I have no doubt the sky is still the limit for Your Excellency. The whole world is seeing what you can do, seeing what you are doing, and wants it replicated. It has to be replicated.”

Wike said this was the most tempting period in Nigeria’s history for any judicial officer and prayed that God should guide the CJN.“Anytime we are going into transition, the crisis we have, will Nigeria survive? Will there be democracy? My Lord, everything falls on the judiciary.

“We politicians have our ways. Everything good or bad, it is the judiciary that is bad. As far as we are concerned, we, the politicians, are saints. The only bad people are the judiciary.

“We will not do our work. We will not do what we are supposed to do. So, I urge you, that the God that brought you now should also give you and your colleagues all the wisdom to see that this country is united. To see that democracy survives in this country,” Wike stated.

Now, my thoughts are: How delightful to every Nigerian and the government of Nigeria is this report? Could it be swept under the carpet for any reason that the CJN,  so thrilled and enthused, openly and unguidedly expounded his adoration for Governor Wike with litany of judicial cases which may ultimately come before him?

Even if they don’t get to the Supreme Court which he heads, some are already well on their way to the Court of Appeal from the Federal High Court. Couldn’t the CJN just wait a little while for this array of cases with Governor Wike’s interest to be dispensed with?

Why will the CJN be so uncircumspect to fall into the ploy of Governor Wike to intimidate anyone who might be willing to go up to the Supreme Court in any matter that concerns him?

How can anyone with a case that will affect Wike’s interest get a fair hearing when the CJN is an evangelist of Wikeism?

It is no longer a secret affair.This is quite concerning. How would he be impartial in any case that concerns Governor Wike after lavishing praises on him publicly?

This is outrageous as it is frightening! The CJN should not be allowed to continue in office and only to recuse himself from any case with Wike’s interest, he should be shown the way out. He must have prepared for it. This ignoble act is a perfidy, it is injurious to the bench and must not go unpunished.

Is the CJN sending out a message? What message is the CJN sending out? Your guess is as good as mine. Is it ethically  appropriate  for a CJN to sing the praises  of a politician in the manner the CJN did on Governor Wike?

Will this CJN dining and wining with a politician like Wike be truly impartial in cases with his ‘man-friday’s interests?

What happens if Governor Wike has a matter before the CJN at the Supreme Court where he is the head of the Court?

“He who comes into equity must come with clean hands” The CJN must not just be impartial but must be seen to be impartial. Can anyone truly say that this CJN will be impartial?

Will other judges seeing this perfidy be without fear or favour in any case that has anything to do with the CJN’s ‘man-Friday’?

As remarked by Governor Wike, himself, “Anytime we are going into transition, the crisis we have, will Nigeria survive? Will there be democracy? My Lord, everything falls on the judiciary”.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola should go, seriously like yesterday. Shouldn’t the CJN honourably resign or be removed with immediate effect? Speaking of honour, I realise it is a scarce commodity. If the CJN has become an Evangelist of Wikeism, is the Commander-in-Chief also afraid of the CJN? Is there no one to discipline an erring CJN?

Let our judiciary weep and wail till the Almighty God has mercy on us. These are very strange times.

Your Excellencies, Mr President,  Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, His Lordship, the CJN, Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, and all well meaning Nigerians home and diaspora, please, let us all act to save our Judiciary which should be the bastion of hope for justice from odium.

May we have the courage to do what is right at all times.

God bless Nigeria! God bless us all!!

-Dr  Hercules writes from Port Harcourt