Jonathan Defends Stand On Libya ……Appointment Of Acting President, Court of Appeal

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday explained that the Federal Government decided to persuade Libyan strongman, Col Mammar Gaddafi, to lay down his arms and embrace the ample signs of fledging democratic  rebirth in the    interest of the Libyan people.

The President who was reacting to criticism that Nigeria’s stand on Libya was hasty, explained that it was informed by the need to urgently stop the increasing loss of lives, explaining that with Tripoli almost wholly in the hands of NATO- backed rebels, the proper step to take towards ending the war is for Gaddafi to surrender.

The President who spoke through his special Adviser on Media, Mr Reuben Abati, said that Nigeria, being a sovereign nation-state reserves the right to take a stand on any continental or international issue based on national interest, defence of democratic ideals and indeed the restoration of peace and stability in the African continent.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday,  Abati said the President considered the huge cost of rebuilding public infrastructure, the need to lay the necessary foundation for a democratic rebirth and above all, check further refugee crisis before joining other well meaning countries to support the Libyans’ just struggle for political integration and respect within the global community.

The Special Adviser used the forum to explain why President Jonathan decided to appoint an acting President of the Court of Appeal, (PCA) saying,  it was intended to ensure stability and  avoid a constitutional lacuna in the judicial system.

With the suspension of Justice Isa Ayo Salami by the National Judicial Council (NJC), and the need for him to pursue his litigation in the court, the President explained that something needed to be done to ensure stability in the system.

“The president appointed an acting president of the Court of Appeal not a substantive one, so as to fill an imminent lull, pending the conclusion of all disputes by the affected parties”, the adviser said.

‘If the president did not act at the time he did, there was likely to be another empass which will not be good for the system at this stage of the country’s transformation drive”, he said, explaining that when all issues have been decided by the court, a substantive president of the Appeal Court will be named.

The President’s stand according to the Special Adviser, also enjoys the support of very distinguished legal luminaries as it did not fore-close Justice Salami’s right to  return to office.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC) has urged the Federal Government and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to re-appraise the decision to suspend President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Salami.

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, in a statement  in Abuja, last Wednesday, advised that the decision should be reversed to save the judiciary from collapse.

Omar said the decision of the NJC and the Presidency had succeeded in ridiculing the judiciary. “We have followed with disquiet the raging controversy between the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami. This needless disagreement, which should have been resolved through fairness, transparency and due process, has exposed the judiciary to unwarranted attention, thus, undermining the sanctity of the justice system and threatening the efficacy of our democratic system,‘’ he said.

Omar said the situation had been made more complex by the recent suspension of Salami by President Goodluck Jonathan following the recommendations of the NJC.

He said, “We are surprised that rather than seek an agreeable solution to the crisis, a venerable NJC has become a problem. It did not only attempt to evade being served court papers, as Salami is challenging its actions, but still submitted its recommendations of suspension and retirement of the President of the Court of Appeal to the Presidency”.

“We are of the view that steps taken by the NJC in the storm between the Honourable Chief Justice and the President of the Court of Appeal leave much to be desired, ‘’Omar said.

He said that the activities were not only questionable but had also brought the judiciary which is the bastion of justice to ridicule.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi (right), and his Bauchi counterpart, Governor Isa Yuguda (left), watch as a tour guide demonstrates feeding of fishes in one of the Fish Ponds at the Rivers State Songhai Farm project during a tour of projects in Rivers State with members of the Nigerian Bar Association, Wednesday.

Patterson Koko