Salami: NJC raises five-man committee

Salami

The National Judicial Council (NJC) yesterday raised another five-man committee to resolve issues surrounding the reinstatement of the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami.
The council suspended Justice Salami on August 18, 2011 after an emergency session.
But the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher on October 14, 2011 set up a 29-member stakeholders’ Judicial Reform Committee, which was headed by a former CJN, Justice Muhammadu Uwais.
The committee recommended the reinstatement of Justice Salami and reconciliation of the suspended PCA with a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.
Although the NJC met yesterday in Abuja to consider the report of the stakeholders Judicial Reform Committee, especially the reinstatement of Salami, it ended up constituting another five-man panel.
The panel, headed by Justice Aloma Mukhtar (the Deputy Chairman of the NJC), includes Justice Pius Aderemi(Rtd JSC) and President of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) Joseph Bodunrin Daudu.
A source, who pleaded not to be named because he is not officially permitted to speak on the matter, said: “The NJC raised the five-man committee to finally resolve all issues behind the suspension and factors delaying Justice Salami’s reinstatement.
“The panel is expected to reconcile all the parties to the crisis, including Justice Salami and ex-CJN Katsina-Alu. It will also look into all cases relating to the feud that has shaken the judiciary in the last one year.
“If you can recall, these were the recommendations of a sub-committee of the Uwais stakeholders’ Judicial Reform Committee. The sub-committee, including Justice Mamman Nasir, Justice U. Kalgo, and Justice Bola Ajibola, had asked the CJN and the National Judicial Council to reconcile Justice Salami and Justice Katsina-Alu. It also asked the NJC to reinstate Justice Salami to his position.”
Asked why another committee was necessary, the source added: “The crisis is a complicated one and members agreed that it is better for the new five-man panel to isolate all the interwoven issues one-by-one and find final solutions.
“Do not forget that the crisis has also led to many cases in court. The NJC cannot just wake up to reinstate Justice Salami without finding ways of leaving the court out of the crisis.
“All I can assure you is that the NJC is in the final stage of resolving the matter.”
Asked whether there was stalemate at the NJC session, the source said: “If there was a stalemate, we will not end up agreeing to the setting up of a five-man committee.
“There are vested interests complicating the crisis but the Judiciary will surely survive it and we shall all be better for it.”
When contacted, the Media Adviser to the CJN, Mr. Adamu Mohammed, said: “A committee has been set up on Justice Isa Ayo Salami matter.”