By Kingsley Omose

Now that Isa Ayo Salami has been told by the National Judicial Service Commission that he can keep his job as the President of the Court of Appeal, he has stopped urinating inside the well that a few days ago he was publicly doing to ensure no other person could drink from, because he now has unrestricted access to the well.

Now we may never be able to find out whether the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina_Alu tried to pervert the cause of justice over the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Appeal on behalf of the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, simply because retaining his position as President of the Court of Appeal is more important to Isa Ayo Salami.

We may also never be able to find out whether the panel of Supreme Court justices whose judicial intervention resulted in the dismissal of the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Appeal were aiding and abetting Aloysius Katsina-Alu in the perversion of the cause of justice because Justice Salami is ceasing hostilities now that he is keeping his job.

We may also never know whether the other members of the National Judicial Council are mere agents of Justice Katsina-Alu who were confused or deceived or cajoled to clandestinely recommend Justice Salami for elevation to the Supreme Court because he will be remaining as President of the Court of Appeal.

And what about that alleged sordid private secret meeting between the top justice of Nigeria, Justice Katsina-Alu, and the top lawyer in Nigeria, Mr Bello Adoke, SAN, where both men shamelessly plotted to judicially stab Justice Salami in the back by orchestrating his elevation to the Supreme Court, that we may never find out. Does this also mean that Justice Salami may never be called to account based on the pointed allegations made against him by Iyiola Omisore in a public advertorial, not unless those pushing for or initiating the probe will be prepared to overcome a hostile press and allegations of victimization or bias against the President of the Court of Appeal. Does this mean that Justice Salami cannot be held accountable if he continues to ignore utilizing the majority of the justices of the Court of Appeal that he does not trust in hearing election petition matters regarding gubernatorial matters where the Court of Appeal will be sitting as a court of first instance and in other election matters as an appeals court?

What about asking Isa Ayo Salami to outline the factors he utilizes to determine which of his fellow Court of Appeal justices he trusts and then taking the big step of giving the names of the distrusted justices to the relevant authorities so that they can be weeded out, that obviously is gone with the wind too.

So has this really been a big bluff by Justice Salami simply to keep his powerful post as the President of the Court of Appeal, similar to the bluff by some who were targeting becoming Nigeria’s President by whipping up a storm in a tea cup, it would appear so as the man paints a sordid picture of the judiciary yet is prepared to close his eyes as long as he serves as oga.

As President of the Court of Appeal he has a budget, presides as administrative head, is involved in contract awards, gets to post Appeal Court Justices to the various divisions, and more importantly gets to select the justices who seat on election petition matters and all these trump being a justice of the Supreme Court.

Just as it is better to be a President, Minister, Governor, Commissioner, Local Government Chairman, Head of a government department or agency where executive power resides than be a member of the National or State House of Assembly or a justice of any of the superior courts of record in Nigeria.

No, there is nothing special about Salami, he is just another Nigerian protecting his turf.