*Jimmy Ameh*

By the end of proceeding at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Thursday, March 22, 2019, in the trial of Justice Walter Onnoghen, the harassed, embarrassed, humiliated and suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, it was obvious that the allegations against him, which emanated from a petition signed by Dennis Aghanya, for himself and on behalf of Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative, was a classic act of mendacity which won executive support and appeal.

A short recap: The prosecution had listed six witnesses to testify, in the effort to prove, that in accordance with the petition, Justice Onnoghen had 55 houses hidden across Nigeria. They were also to help the prosecution to establish allegation that Justice Onnoghen operated foreign accounts where he hid away undeclared monies, running into billions in total.

The swiftness of action against Onnoghen left tongues wagging. Actions taken between the time the petition against him was sent to the Code of Conduct Bureau and his arraignment before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, could have won Nigeria a platinum medal in seriousness. But that’s not the real issue.

The real, and disturbing, issue now is that despite listing six witnesses, the prosecution closed its case after only three testified. Among the three that testified were Awal Yakassai, a former director in charge of political office at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and Ifeoma Okagbue, a banker with Standard Chartered Bank.

In his witness testimony, Yakassai denied allegations that Onnoghen did not declare his assets and rather stated that his (Onnoghen) assets declared in 2016 were yet to be verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau. He also testified that contrary to claims that Onnoghen owned 55 houses, that he indeed has only five, one of which was sold to him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

On the other hand, Okagbue testified that contrary to claims that Onnoghen operated a foreign account, that all his accounts are domiciliary; and are domiciled in the Wuse branch of Standard Chartered Bank. She also read out bank balance on Onnoghen accounts as well as confirmed that indeed, the bank advanced a $500,000 facility to Onnoghen. The social media has gone bust since these facts were stated before the tribunal.

These testimonies put a huge lie on the allegations against Onnoghen. They also show that the federal government had other motives in moving against the Chief Justice other than fighting corruption. It simply says that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, assisted by desperately mendacious officials, was fighting corruption by corrupt means. It also proves as truth, insinuations that Onnoghen was being hounded for fear he may lead the Supreme Court to redress planned fouling of the electoral process. Rotimi Amaechi gave credence to this when he appeared on a television station where he begged opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to kindly accept outcome of the presidential election, as it is, as a brotherly thing and wait for 2023 when “we will tell INEC to conduct a proper election”. INEC itself has been unrestrained in its condemnation of the use of Nigeria Army and Nigeria Air Force personnel in messing up the electoral process, especially in Rivers state, where Amechi promised violence, prior to the elections.

However, the bigger question that still begs for answers is the new national demand on Dennis Aghanya to face Nigerians with proofs of his allegations against Onnoghen. He has to tell Nigerians where the 55 houses he claimed in his petition belonged to Onnoghen are located. He also has to come to terms with the reality of his claims of financial impropriety against the Chief Justice. At least, that is what honour demands.

Besides, Aghanya owes reasonable members of the public detailed explanation as to how he laid his hands on Onnoghen asset declaration form given that the law establishing the CCB does not allow any official of the Bureau to release an asset declaration form to anyone. So far, there is no evidence of a Freedom of Information request from Aghanya to the CCB to make Onnoghen’s asset declaration form available to him or any member of his supposed anti-corruption group. This is more worrisome, especially, when other members of the group, had publicly distanced the group, and themselves, from Aghanya’s action. So, Aghanya owes the world a whole lot of explanation.

Further, the no case submission by Onnoghen indicates that there was nothing to defend in the trial. This means, in essence, that Dennis Aghanya misinformed the tribunal and lied in his petition. In other words, he perjured in his action which makes him liable to prosecution and possibly, a jail term. As it is now, it is obvious that Aghanya lied against Onnoghen and ought to be punished appropriately.

Not prosecuting and penalizing Aghanya, in the same manner some fake whistle blowers are being prosecuted, would mean that insinuations that he was an accessory to a high wired plot led by Ministers in the Buhari administration, notably, Rotimi Amaechi and Abubakar Malami, assisted by other members of government, who are desperate in their bid to sustain their places in a government that is in need of purposeful direction.

As things are now, Onnoghen may have the last laugh. But his ego has been bruised. This is classic Buharinomics. The strategy has always been to name and to shame even if it means to lie shamelessly about reality. It shows that most of the administration’s leadership strategy had been couched in lies, sold as lies and managed as lies to an undiscerning and noisy public that is blinded by devotion. Lai Mohmmed is classic here. Perhaps, the Onnoghen case will make the administration to re-work its strategy of mendacious leadership – a strategy that would make all honourable officials to quietly quit if they still think honour.

**Ameh writes from Abuja*

APC came to power by the force of propaganda. The country is filled with educated illiterates then so it was easy to hoodwink all of them and confuse them the Jonathan stole money.

When APC took over power, they found out that they are bereft of ideas and as useless as the p in psychology.

All they are doing since then is media trials, catch any PDP or southerner and frame him with bloated lies, drag him in the mud and hope the dirt will stick to his character. This is what they hope to keep b using to justify their climate to be fighting corruption.

But corruption keeps growing in this APC government.

Uhmm

A good piece from the writer; I commend you for stating the facts just as they should. Thanks be to God, the truth has started coming out, and those who have been screaming "crucify him" even before proper investigation and trial should bury their heads in shame.

I followed the case and I discovered that the FG do not have a case against him. In fact, the FG witnesses rebutted all the claims against him. FG should be sanctioned by CCT for lying that he has 6 witnesses but presented only 3 witnesses that did not substantiate it claims. Except the tribunal is biased, there is no way it can convict Onoghen on this matter

so where did the likes of butterflyleo or butterflyle0, madridguy, buhariguy, demeo whatever get their lies from.? Where did barbeque seller get his untruths from? What is wrong with these evil zombies? Nairaland need to be careful of these people o

I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

Sirjamo:
I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

Oga where are the 10,000 houses you and your paid hack claimed he acquired fraudulently


Where are the billions of dollars too?



It's not against the law to admit such.... Have you seen his declaration form? olodo

APC does not mean well for this country,. Take it or leave it.

Onoghen will most likely have the last laugh but he has been badly bruised by the agents of darkness who deliberately misinformed the court and the public just to have him eased out of the exalted position.
No evil doer should go unpunished

Yakassai denied allegations that Onnoghen did not declare his assets and rather stated that his (Onnoghen) assets declared in 2016 were yet to be verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau. He also testified that contrary to claims that Onnoghen owned 55 houses, that he indeed has only five, one of which was sold to him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.[b][/b]

I knew Buhari lied against this man.

My own problem is not actually Buhari but the people who thinks they are intelligent yet cannot scrutinized.

Why on earth would you just believe anything thrown at you just because it comes from the person you claimed you like?

Even an illiterate who never passed through school knew Buhari action against Onnoghen was not right.

But you see fools everywhere without common sense of reasoning claiming anybody against illegal actions by Buhari is a lover of corruption...

I detest people that can't reason.

This is my first time of using foul words, and it's because the Numbers of fools are increasing by the day.

These Zombies are no longer just Zombies. I think we should start calling them "Evil Zombies". Hounding an innocent man and lying shamelessly in the face of the truth is pure, undiluted evil. These are the things, when we see them in real life, we shudder how a person have lost all humanity in them.

Would've loved for that Dennis Aghanya man to be prosecuted and given a lengthy jail term.
How can som1 lie against a whole chief judge of the country so openly?
He no get fear?

Sirjamo:
I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

Yakassai denied allegations that Onnoghen did not declare his assets and rather stated that his (Onnoghen) assets declared in 2016 were yet to be verified by the Code of Conduct Bureau. He also testified that contrary to claims that Onnoghen owned 55 houses, that he indeed has only five, one of which was sold to him by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Did you read this part or like a typical zombie you can't read and comprehend?

The man never said he didn't declare his assets; rather he said he updated it in 2016 so anything that wasn't there in 2014 should be in the new one in 2016.

My major worry is the efcc and other kangaroo agencies that said they traced billions to the man's accounts using his BVN.

If I were this man, immediately I am done with this case, I will institute a high powered suit against the bastard who initiated the petition, and I'd also drag the CCB and EFCC into the case as respondents. The petitioner and the CCB must tell me how the former laid his hands on my asset declaration forms, and the former must substantiate how he arrived at such grievous allegations against me. Then the efcc would substantiate how they traced billions to my accounts. That offense is perjury and carries a jail term which I would see to the last!

People have to start taking responsibility for their actions. They banked on the man resigning, hence they tossed him all over the media thinking they could intimidate the man into resigning his office but he choose to have his day in court much to their chagrin. We'd see how this plays out Las Las but someone must go down for this

Sirjamo:
I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

The position of the law is, whenever a public officer admit error or he forgot to declare some of his assets and then rectify them as Mr Onnoghen did in 2016, he's innocent and therefore not supposed to be referred to CCT. Does it mean that the education they say you guys have is a waste?

Sirjamo:
I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

Behold! An ostrich

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. – Albert Einstein

We are all guilty of destroying the world with our silence at the face of the evil being perpetrated by the evil dictator and his cabal.

Sirjamo:
I don't care if he has 7000 houses, the question is: Why did he admit that he forgets to declare some of his assets?

. How are you sure he said that, is it not the same APC lying machine accused him of saying that, were you there they raised all the lies to decieve Nigerians