News - Jonathan okays compulsory retirement of Justice Archibong

[TGD]

 PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has approved the immediate compulsory retirement of Justice Charles Archibong of the Federal High Court, Lagos, over alleged unethical conduct in the discharge of his duties.

The National Judicial Council (NJC) had, at a meeting last Thursday, recommended his compulsory retirement to Jonathan.

The meeting, held at the Supreme Court Complex, Abuja and presided over by Chief Justice Maryam Aloma-Mukhtar, recommended that Archibong should go on compulsory retirement pursuant to the NJC's findings on the following complaints levelled against him:

• That the judge dismissed grievous charges against an accused without taking his plea;

• that he refused to release the certified true copy of his ruling to lawyers;

• that the judge issued a bench warrant on some officials of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for contempt even when the counsel who was directed by the court to serve them filed an affidavit that he had not been able to serve the contempt application;

• that he made unfounded and caustic remarks on the professional competence of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs);

• that there were glaring procedural irregularities which showed that he did not have a full grasp of the law and procedure of the court; and

• that he granted the leave sought for in the originating summons that had no written address of the parties and without hearing both parties in the originating summons after he had earlier over-ruled the preliminary objection.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, who confirmed the approval of the retirement to journalists after a meeting with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that the President believed that if the Judiciary was cleansed of corruption, the fight against the menace in the country would be strengthened.

According to Adoke, "this is to inform you that President Goodluck Jonathan is in receipt of a recommendation from the NJC recommending the compulsory retirement of Justice Charles Archibong and Mr. President has approved that it should take immediate effect. It is Mr. President's belief that once we are able to cleanse the Judiciary of corruption, then our fight against corruption in its entirety will take a firm root and will be on its way to success."

The fate of Justice Thomas Naron of High Court of Justice, Plateau State, who was also recommended for compulsory retirement by the NJC rests with Governor David Jonah Jang.

The NJC said that its findings showed that there were constant and regular voice calls and exchange of multimedia messages and text messages between him and one of the lead counsel for one of the parties to the suit in the Osun State governorship election tribunal, contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Section 292(1((b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.



The Guardian