It Is An Act Of Impunity For Gov. Bello To Walk Out Kogi C. J. From Swearing-in Occasion Of Grand Kadi

The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello was said to have walked out the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah from a function yesterday (Tuesday).

The incident occurred at Government House Lokoja during the swearing-in of new Grand Gadi of the state. The function was attended by top government officials and others from the Judiciary.

To avoid any problem, the Chief Judge, Justice Nasiru Ajanah then left government house back to his office when he was informed by Chief Security Officer that the governor gave a directive that he should not be allowed to attend the function.

With profound respect this is a height of impunity. The governor should know that swearing the Grand Khadi or any judicial officer is not a private affair or function of the governor but an official and constitutional function that the chief judge is obliged to attend. The Governor lacks the power to send out the chief judge from that function. Moreover, It is a function that affects the entire people of Kogi state and because it concerns the judiciary, the presence of the Chief Judge of the state is necessary.

It therefore smacks of ignorance or mischief to seek to exclude the Chief Judge of the state from such an official function like the swearing in of the Grand Khadi a senior judicial officer and a head of court under the Judiciary.

Yahaya Bello has goofed big time and his advisers should let him know that. It is an irredeemable misconduct and intimidation of the judiciary. The governor should be working hard to repair his damaged public image which threatens to kick him out of office after the first term.

It appears Yahaya Bello is desperately looking for someone to drag with him out of office. The chief judge is certainly the wrong target for this desperate project. It is a huge shame and a conduct which falls far short of the exalted office of a governor.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, the maturity and cool mien of the Chief Judge of Kogi state for excusing himself from the function after being told by the Governor’s CSO that Yahaya Bello didn’t like his presence or face at the swearing in ceremony of the State’s Grand Khadi. While commenting on the calmness of the Chief Judge, a Senior Lawyer, Y. S. Usman describes it as the difference between sanity and insanity, between maturity and exuberance and between the polished mind of a lawyer and the warped mind of an incompetent politician.

TheNigeriaLawyer Editorial