Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday dismissed as untenable alleged claim by the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),Justice Walter Onnoghen that he (Onnoghen) forgot to declare $3million dollars in his accounts.
El-Rufai said in Kaduna that even Alhaji Alio Dangote with all his wealth cannot forget $1million in an account.
The governor spoke while receiving a solidarity letter from members of Coalition of Civil Society Organizations who took to the streets of Kaduna to express support for the action taken by President Muhammadu Buhari against the suspended CJN.
He said: “the case with Justice Onnoghen is a very sad one. Othman Dan Fodio, the founder of the Sokoto caliphate wrote that the worst form of corruption you can find in any public service is judicial corruption. This is because when the president is corrupt or the governor is corrupt, it is to the judge that ordinary people can take their case to.
“The president did the right thing by asking him to step aside pending investigation. It is the proper thing to do. It is what is done in every organized and civilized society.
“Unfortunately, some people in Nigeria are trying to make white black and black, white. They are using technicalities to delay bringing this man to justice.
“Mr. President did not remove Onnoghen from office. He said in honour of the judiciary, he should step aside so that the charges against him can be investigated and prosecuted.
“But the man does not want to go.It is time for Nigerians to come all out and tell him he must go. Our judiciary must be clean. Our judiciary must consist of judges who cannot be bought.
“I do not think Dangote will forget $1 Million in his account.”
Leaders of the civil society organisations, Comrade Zubairu Muktar and Arc Abubakar R Abubakar hailed Buhari for taking steps to restore the lost glory of Nigeria’s judiciary .
