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The man, Justice Walter Onnoghen

By Joseph Onyekwere
11 November 2016   |   5:20 am
At last, Justice Walter Onnoghen was yesterday sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari, putting to rest the widespread speculations....
New Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen during his swearing-in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja …yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

New Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen during his swearing-in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja …yesterday. PHOTO: PHILIP OJISUA

At last, Justice Walter Onnoghen was yesterday sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari, putting to rest the widespread speculations that powers-that-be did not want him to assume the office.

The intrigues and speculations started since last year and heightened when officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) invaded the houses of serving judicial officers, including two members of the apex court in a night raid last month.

In addition to those circumstances, the Federal Judicial Service Council (FJSC) had on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 forwarded names of three most senior justices of the Supreme Court to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for consideration, barely a month to the expiration of the tenure of the then incumbent CJN, Justice Mohammed Mahmud.

Those whose names were submitted were Justices Onnoghen, who is next in rank to Mohammed, Ibrahim Muhammad and Suleiman Galadima.As was expected, the NJC considered the three names sent by the FJSC and recommended Onnoghen to President Muhammadu Buhari for appointment before the expiration of the then incumbent CJN’s tenure yesterday, November 10, 2016.

The tradition had been that the most senior of the justices must be appointed. But a month after Onnoghen’s name was submitted, there was no information about the likelihood of appointing him, not to talk of forwarding his name to the National Assembly, thereby deepening the fears that the tradition of appointment by seniority might have been subverted.

But with his emergence yesterday, the speculations about subverting the process to deny a southerner from assuming the office have been put to rest.The man Justice Onnoghen was born on December 22, 1950 at Okurike in Biase Local Council of Cross River State.

He attended the Presbyterian Primary School, Okurike, between 1959 and 1965.He later proceeded to Accra, Ghana, to attend Odorgorno Secondary School, Adabraka, Accra, Ghana, between 1967 and 1972 for his West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

Onnoghen was at Accra Academy, Accra, Ghana, between 1972 and 1974 for his WAEC (A-Levels) before proceeding to the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, between 1974 and 1977 to obtain his Bachelor of Law Degree (LL.B (Hons) and graduated with 2nd Class Upper Division.

He attended the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island, Lagos, between 1977 and 1978 for his B.L certificate. The jurist served as a Pupil State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, Ikeja, Lagos, between 1978 and 1979.

He was a partner in the Law Firm of Effiom Ekong & Company, Calabar (1979-1988); principal partner/Head of Chamber of Walter Onneghen & Associates, Calabar, from 1988 to 1989.

From 1989 to 1998, he served as a High Court Judge, Cross River State Judiciary and later the chairman, Cross River State Armed Robbery and Fire-Arms Tribunal from 1990 to 1993.

Onnoghen was later appointed as Chairman, Judicial Enquiry into the crisis between students of the University of Calabar and Obufa Esuk Orok community, Calabar, in 1996, and Chairman, Failed Bank Tribunal, Ibadan Zone, in 1998.

He was appointed a justice of the Court of Appeal in 1998 and left in 2005 when he was elevated to the apex court.A fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Justice Onnoghen has attended several conferences and seminars around the world and is a member of the Body of Benchers and Life Bencher.

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