By Chesa Chesa
Justice Olukayode Ariwola was on Monday sworn into office as the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Justice Ariwola replaces Justice Mohammed Tanko, who turned in his resignation on grounds of ill-health, a day earlier.
Emerging from the brief swearing-in ceremony at the State House, Abuja, the new CJN told State House correspondents that the Supreme Court under him will not fail Nigerians.
He also assured worried Nigerians that the controversial memo 14 Justices of the Supreme Court wrote to the outgone CJN alleging abuse of office would now be resolved.
His encounter with the press went thus:
Q: What should Nigerians expect from you?
A: What Nigerians expect from me is to comply, preserve and abide and protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And so be it. That is what I will do especially with the cooperation of my brother Justices of the Supreme Court. We shall not fail Nigerians.
Q: You are taking over at a time where there has been some controversy, especially by Justices of the Supreme Court, how do you intend to handle that?
A: There is no controversy in the Supreme Court. We are one with the Chief Justice. That’s why you heard the President said His Lordship, is disengaging on the grounds of ill-health. No controversy were one.
Q: How about the welfare issues that were raised in that letter?
A: It was an internal memo of the court. It was not a petition. It was not a letter. It was addressed by the brother Justices of the Chief Justice and presented to him, His Lordship directly. There were issues to be resolved amongst justices.
Q: So do we expect these issues to be resolved on their leadership?
A: Yeah, we’ve started resolving it.****
