Onnoghen: Kaduna Lawyers Express Mixed Reactions

Some lawyers in Kaduna yesterday, expressed mixed reactions to the resolution by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for them to boycott courts for two days.
The boycott followed what the NBA described as illegal suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.
 President Muhammadu Buhari had last Friday, suspended Justice Onnoghen as CJN following an order by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The suspension of Justice Onnoghen has triggered criticisms from various quarters, including the international community.
The suspended CJN is facing charges of false assets declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
 The Federal Government had on January 25 suspended the CJN over alleged failure to declare assets as required of every public servant.
The NBA reached the resolution after its National Executive Council meeting held last Monday.
However, The Tide reports that few lawyers were in court to attend to their cases while others complied with the NBA’s resolution by boycotting the courts.
Hamza Garba, one of the lawyers, told The Tide that he was in court to attend to his case, adding the defendant came from Katsina because the judge gave them a clear date for the conclusion of the trial.
Garba said he had no problem concerning NBA’s resolution to boycott court.
He, however, urged NBA to understand that the interest he represented was in the interest of a third party which was paramount.
“I am in court for the interest of people who have right and liberty, if I boycott court, what becomes of them as some of them are in detention while others are at the risk if seeing their property being destroyed,” he said.
He also said that NBA should realise that in this whole issue, everybody had his or own opinion.
According to him,some peoples opinion are shaped by moral inclination while others by political inclination.
Another lawyer, Mr Toslyn Awetunji, said that he was entitled to his own opinion concerning the NBA’s resolution of lawyers boycotting court and he choose coming to court.
According to him, once a case is slated for motion or hearing and one has an incline that the court will seat, it behooves on one as a lawyer to show before the court.
He also said that first duty as a lawyer was not to NBA but to the temple of justice for anyone who needed it and the second duty “is to our clients.”
Aminu Labaran, a lawyer said it was a matter of choice, volition and solidarity as a lawyer to comply with NBA’s resolution to on boycott court.
 The legal practitioner  said the fact he was in court did not mean he had breached any law.
He further stated that he was in court to obtain justice for someone, adding that him staying at home would stall justice.
Labaran also that though the case he attended could not hold, he was glad he came to court to try and help someone who really needed justice.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Kaduna branch, Suleiman Shuaibu, to The Tide branch had submitted the outcome of meeting in Abuja to the Chief Judge and to all courts in the state.
Shuaibu said the association had been going round the courts to see if members were complying with NBA resolution.
The branch manager expressed the hope that lawyers would comply with the resolution.
 
He, however, said that as human beings everybody has his or her opinion to a matter but as a body it will be an accomplishment if all lawyers comply to the resolution.