Imported User:
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Muhammadu Uwais has said that it is only the National Judicial Council (NJC) and not PresidentGoodluck Jonathan that has the constitutional powers to reinstate the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami.
Uwais, who stated this during an interview with Channels Television, insisted that all issues of appointment, discipline and removal of judges resided with the NJC.
The former CJN also drew the attention of Jonathan to the fact that NJC had taken a decision and he only needed to be informed about it.
Prominent legal luminaries have raised similar issue but the Attorney- General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN) had claimed that Salami would not be reinstated on the grounds that the recommendation of the NJC on Salami was not binding on the federal government.
He further claimed that honouring the NJC’s recommendation would expressly put the Presidency in danger of “sub-judice.”
Salami had earlier been suspended by Jonathan on August 10, 2011 under controversial circumstances. But the NJC had recommended that he should be reinstated but President Jonathan is yet to recall him.
