Graft cases monitoring appointment: We await Salami’s rejection letter —NJC

The National Judicial Council (NJC) on Thursday evening said it was still expecting the purported rejection letter of the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, as the chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO).

It was reported on Thursday that Salami had rejected his appointment based on principle.

The acting director of information of the (NJC), told Tribune Online on Thursday evening that “the Council is yet to get Salami’s formal rejection letter.”

According to him: “Am still in the office (as of 6: 07 p.m.) waiting for the letter and it has not reached us.

“We expect to receive the letter by tomorrow (Friday) morning if actually he turned down the appointment. By tomorrow, if the letter comes, we will issue a statement to that effect.” he said.

Justice Salami was appointed by the NJC as the chairman of COTRIMCO, which the NJC set up at its 82nd meeting in Abuja on September 27, 2017

It was however, reported that Justice Salami is uncomfortable with the composition of the 15-man committee and had met with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, who doubles as the NJC chairman, after which he was said to have written his rejection letter.

The Committee’s primary functions  are: Regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide; advising the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases; giving feedback to the Council on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts; and evaluating the performance of the designated courts.

Besides  Justice Salami, other members of the committee are: The Chief Judge, Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah; the Chief Judge of Imo State, Justice P.O. Nnadi; Chief Judge Delta State, Justice Marsahal Umukoro, Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice M. L. Abimbola. Others are the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. A.B Mahmoud(SAN); former NBA Presidents, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN);  Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Mr. J.B Daudu (SAN);  and Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN); Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN);  Mrs. R.I Inga, Representative of Non-Governmental Organisations, Representative from the Ministry of Justice, Representative from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, as well as the Secretary of the NJC, Mr. Gambo Saleh.