Reps back NJC to recall Salami

House of Representatives members have affirmed that the power to reinstate the embattled and suspended President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami rests on the shoulders of the National Judicial Council not President Goodluck Jonathan.
The lawmakers also kicked against the move by president Jonathan to elongate the tenure of the acting PCA, Mr. Dalhatu Adamu, asserting that it contravenes the 1999 Constitution.
Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, maintained that the Judicial council was correct on its stand.
He said, “NJC is absolutely correct. The President is precluded under the provisions of the constitution from further extending the appointment of the appeal court chief justice as he purports to do,” he said.
Also reacting, Mr. Sampson Osagie, the Minority Whip of the House, has urged the NJC to go ahead and recall the suspended Salami, stressing “there is no provision legally for an acting PCA after three months.”
Osagie disclosed that the appropriate thing to do was to recall Salami with immediate effect since there’s no legal backing for an extension of the tenure beyond three month.
Osagie said, “The NJC should go ahead and do the right thing because it was the NJC that kick-started the whole process in the first place.
“The NJC should take this debate over who has the power or no power out of the public domain because it does not portray the judiciary in good light.”
The Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Mr. Aminu Shagari, on his part said that since that matter has already been settled in court, he advised that the judgment should be obeyed.
“There is a court judgement on the issue already. The court is the final arbiter on any dispute; so, the law should be obeyed,” he stated.
It will be recalled that the NJC earlier in August 2011 had written Jonathan to approve Salami’s suspension, which the President immediately conformed with.
However, the council wrote Jonathan to lift suspension, but the President withheld his approval, which sparked controversy among the lawmakers who insisted that they would no longer wait for Mr. president to approve Salami’s reinstatement.
 DailyPost