A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack two Ministers, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the Ministers of Transport, and Science and Technology respectively over their alleged involvement in the corruption saga rocking the judiciary.

The group also said the insistence of the Presidency, that judicial officers who have been accused of corruption be relieved of their various judicial duties until they prove their innocence was in order and that the same condition should be applicable to the members of the executive fingered in the saga.

The call was coming as the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere declared that the Ministers who have been accused should also step aside and face prosecution because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, insisting that Amaechi and Onu should immediately be relieved of their jobs as the same verdict should apply to judicial officials at the centre of alleged judicial corruption.

It however, advised that all the judicial officials should be made to declare their assets publicly without further delaying, requesting that all the investigations surrounding trial of those involved in the current judicial mess should be made public in the interest of justice, equity, transparency and fair-play.

Executive Chairman of the group, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, urged the appropriate authorities to ensure thorough investigation of the Judges and Ministers fingered in the corrupt saga in the country’s judicial arm of government in order to serve as deterrent to public officials with corrupt tendencies.

Comrade Sulaiman who doubles as Chairman, Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) declared: “All the affected names in this alleged corrupt practices must stepped down from their various positions, for thorough and credible investigation. There is no moral justification for them to continue in their various offices when they have not been cleared of the allegation by credible investigators.”

It would be recalled that two Supreme Court Justices -Justice Sylvester Ngwuta and Justice Inyang Okoro; the suspended Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, Justice Mohammed Ladan Tsamiya, Justice Adeniyi Ademola (Federal High Court); the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice I. A. Umezulike; Justice Kabiru Auta of Kano State High Court; Justice Muazu Pindiga (Gombe State High Court); Justice Bashir Sukola and Justice Ladan Manir of Kaduna State High Court.

The NJC has recommended sanctions for Justice Tsamiya; Justice Umezulike and Justice Kabiru Auta

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was investigating the judges of the Federal High Court, comprising Justices Mohammed Nasir Yunusa; Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa; Musa Haruna Kurya; Agbadu James Fishim; Uwani Abba Aji; Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Justice Ibrahim N. Auta.

•Photo shows Amaechi.

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