Supreme Court denies CJN under DSS investigation
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has denied that the Chief Justice of Nigeria Olukayode Ariwoola is under investigation.
An online newspaper, Peoples Gazette, had rumoured about Ariwoola’s probe by the Department of the State Service (DSS).
The news platform alleged the DSS decided to probe Ariwoola following his comment at a banquet in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that tended to project him as siding with five aggrieved governors, who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party.
But, Festus Akande, the director of information and press of the court, denied any such probe. Ariwoola said the Supreme Court is dismayed over the claim, including that that ‘five Justices of Supreme Court are calling for his (Ariwoola) resignation.’
Akande said the claim is a “barefaced falsehood and mischievous antics” of the writer.
He said the allegation was the handiwork of “individuals with an unenviable pedigree to malign the character and personality of not just the CJN but several other judicial officers considered unpliable and principled to be approached for any form of underhand dealings, especially as election cases (petitions) will soon be streaming to the tribunals (courts) for adjudication.”
The statement said ‘no Justice of the Supreme Court has or is writing any letter of protest whatsoever.
“Neither the CJN nor the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court or other Courts for that matter, are politicians, so, none of them should be dragged into politics in any form whatsoever.
“Our advice to this set of rabble-rousers whose stock in trade is character assassination via dissemination of false information to create tension and disaffection is to have a rethink and engage in meaningful productive activities that will move the nation forward. A word is enough for the wise,” the statement said.
