The Code of Conduct Tribunal says it will resume hearing in the case of alleged false asset declaration brought against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
Mr Onnoghen was charged by the Code of Conduct Bureau for allegedly omitting details of his domiciliary accounts in one of two forms submitted to the bureau in 2016, among other offences.
He has failed to appear at the two hearing sessions when the matter was called at the tribunal.
Following an order of the Court of Appeal, the tribunal chaired by Danladi Umar suspended the trial indefinitely at the last adjourned date on January 22.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal directed the tribunal to proceed with the hearing after refusing a request by Mr Onnoghen for the trial to be suspended.
In response to the appeal court decision, the tribunal on Thursday said it would continue sitting on February 4. The tribunal said its decision followed a request by the CCB for the case to continue.
“Conduct Tribunal Fixes 4th February for resumption of alleged Non-asset declaration trial against Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen.
“Following Court of Appeal ruling yesterday on the trial against Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter, on alleged non-declaration of asset before Code of Conduct Tribunal is hereby fixed for Monday, 4th of February, 2019.
“The decision was reached today sequel to a correspondent from Code of Conduct Bureau, applying for the resumption of trial of the case captioned; Application for resumption of trial of the case of FRN V. Hon. Justice Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel case No: CCT/ABJ/01/19, addressed to Hon. Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, dated 30th January, 2019, jointly signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq).
“The request reads in part; “The above subject refers. This case came up for hearing of preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal on the 28th of January, 2019 but the Tribunal could not proceed due to the pendency of the case at the Court of Appeal,” the statement said, quoting the communication from the CCB.
It added that the latest request by the bureau is therefore in response to the recent ruling by the court of appeal
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FRSC deploys 20,000 personnel for general elections
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is deploying no fewer than 20, 000 officers and marshals for the upcoming general elections across the country.
The Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, said this at the 1st Quarter 2019 Strategy Session with Commanding Officers on strategic goals and issues of general elections in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Oyeyemi said the elections were a national assignment that ought to be done with other security outfits and with all sense of responsibility.
He said the 2019 election was the first national assignment to be executed jointly with other security organisations.
The corps marshal said this was necessary to achieve a free and fair election.
He added that all election activities would be done under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The corps marshal also said appropriate strategies would be developed to check the prevalence of people driving on the highways without driver’s licence.
He noted that the 2018/2019 Operation Zero Tolerance was one of the most successful in recent times, and that its outcome was connected to the dedication and dutiful disposition of all operatives nationwide.
Mr Oyeyemi said the licence for the FRSC Traffic Radio had been acquired from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and other entailments were being put in place for test-run.
He added that some members of staff had been selected for short courses to enable full and professional broadcast.
He said new intakes into the corps were currently undergoing basic courses at the FRSC Academy, Udi, Enugu; NDLEA Regional Academy for Drug Control, Koton-Rikkos in Jos and Nigeria Army Training Centre, Kontagora, Niger.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission was “ready for the elections.”
He appealed to the corps marshal to screen the particulars of drivers to be engaged during the elections, adding that this was important to track the personnel.
Mr Yakubu called for the deployment of patrol teams to support the monitoring and movement of vehicles carrying materials on election days.
