Gov. Fashola Condemns Salami’s Removal

August 24, 2011 By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE
LAGOS — Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has decried the unceremonious retirement of Justice Ayo Salami as the President of the Court of Appeal by President Goodluck Jonathan, saying such depicts a serious sign of disorder and called for urgent steps to safe-guard the nation’s judiciary from crack.

Receiving a coalition of civil societies on a peaceful protest in his Alausa office, Fashola said: “I am of the opinion that this issue will be a priority that will be looked into at this year’s Nigerian Bar Association annual conference holding in Port Harcourt.

“Now that our judiciary has become an object of conflict, it is a serious sign for our country. Those signs of disorder are with us now; they will come in a way they now appear.”

Fashola who received a protest letter from the protesters for onward delivery to President Jonathan called for sanity of the nation’s judicial system.

Secretary of the defunct National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, Mr Ayo Opadokun, who led the coalition, appealed to the presidency to return retired Justice Salami as President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, stating that failure to do so would amount to facing the wrath of the civil society groups.

Expressing displeasure over the face-off between the outgoing Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Katsina-Alu and Justice Salami, Opadokun said Salami’s removal was an accident backed by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

]The group condemned President Jonathan’s speedy appointment of Justice Adamu as the acting President of Court of Appeal, including the recommendation by the NJC on the face-off between the council and Justice Salami.

“We are aware of this script played out by the NJC. The third arm of government is being desecrated by the NJC. We have been receiving queries from within and outside the country on why we should allow a group of people to drag the nation’s judiciary in [through] the mud. We will not tolerate this act and we may go back to the trenches on this issue, if the need be,” Opadokun said.

Members of the coalition were seen displaying placards with inscriptions such as: “NJC members are arrogant zealots. Remove them now.” “Help, NJC is killing our judiciary.” “Oh! Justice, where art thou?” “Salami incorruptible judge.”

“We are aware of this script played out by the NJC. The third arm of government is being desecrated by the NJC. We have been receiving queries from within and outside the country on why we should allow a group of people to drag the nation’s judiciary in [through] the mud. We will not tolerate this act and we may go back to the trenches on this issue, if the need be,” Opadokun said.(Vanguard)