By Shola Abayomi.
President Muhammadu Buhari has explained his reason for relieving the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen of his job.
The president revealed he had to deal with the former CJN because there were “millions of dollars, euros not to talk of naira which were not declared” by Onnoghen as required by law.
President Buhari disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, while receiving some Yoruba leaders led by the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the presidential Villa.
He said: “But anybody who cannot account for what he has and for refusing to declare it, we will have to do something about it.
“That was why I had to deal though reluctantly with the former Chief Justice because there were millions of dollars, euros not to talk of naira which were not declared.
“I wonder what sort of conscience some of us have. How can you seat and preside over and lock people up for years and even sentence some to death and yet you are not doing what the constitution said you should do by occupying that vital institution.”
The President added that looted properties when recovered, would be sold and the proceeds kept in the treasury to prevent future governments from returning them to their owners.
“Now, what I do is when a person cannot justify what he has or fails to declare as the constitution specifies, some of them swear to Almighty God that their property doesn’t belong to them until we show them their bank accounts and their companies then we have some peace.
“So, we are recovering as much as we can under the system and this time around I said the properties will be sold and the money put in the treasury.
“The last time they were giving back their properties but this time around whoever comes after me no matter how generous he is, he cannot take money from the treasury give it to individuals. It will be impossible”, he said.