Breaking News: President Goodluck Jonathan approves Salami’s sack !!

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has approved the sack /compulsory retirement of  embattled President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami.

the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami  who has earlier been suspended and recommended for retirement by the National Judicial Council, NJC  under the chairmanship of   the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu   after five months of excruciating probe into alleged malpractice at the top echelon of the Nigerian judiciary.

 It will be recalled that it all started with a strong disagreement between the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu and the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami, over the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Election Appeal case, the National Judicial Council (NJC) had waded into the matter. 

The NJC, after an emergency meeting on Tuesday, August 9, 2011, had given Salami an ultimatum to apologise in writing to the Council and Katsina-Alu within seven days. The Council said Salami had lied on oath against it and the CJN.

Salami proceeded to drag the Council before an Abuja Federal High Court a day to the expiry date, on Monday, August 15, 2011. After days of intrigues over NJC’s alleged refusal to accept service of the court process of the suit filed by Ayo Salami, the council came up with a stiffer penalty on Salami. It suspended him from office for his refusal to apologise to NJC and Katsina-Alu (CJN). The council also forwarded a recommendation to President Goodluck Jonathan to retire Salami from service.

 However this action has been condemned in many quarters as unconstitutional, illegal and an act against the rule of law as the matter is already before a court of law, a case was already in court against the action of the NJC and the commission should in respect for the rule of law waited for the determination of the suit.

Salami had earlier vowed to head back to the law court to seek redress. is Mr President too quick in approving the infamous recommendation of the Commission (NJC) ??