By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja
The National Judicial Council, NJC, may have unwittingly raised and dashed hopes of the embattled President of the Court of Appeal, PCA,Justice Isa Ayo Salami, to reclaim the office he was forced to vacate last year August.

Saturday Vanguard, learnt that the legal body, despite lifting the suspension it slammed on Salami over alleged judicial misconduct, has however refused to give him the nod to resume work, insisting it would only do so, should the PCA agree to withdraw the legal action he instituted against the council before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court.

It was gathered that as an aftermath of the 2-day crucial meeting the council held in Abuja on Wednesday and Thursday, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Muhktar, yesterday, conveyed the position of the NJC, to Salami.

Though the duo reportedly met in camera, but, a source close to the PCA, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on ground of anonymity, disclosed that Salami declined to take any definite position saying he needed time to consider the proposal.

It was further gathered that Justice Mukhtar, aside expressing her desire to reconcile the suspended PCA and the erstwhile CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, equally vowed to ensure that Salami is paid his accumulated salary and entitlements, should he agree to the conditions.

According to the source, “though I cannot tell you everything that transpired in the course of the meeting, the much I can tell you, is that the ball is now on Justice Salami’s court. The council has realized its mistakes and is willing to make amends.  This CJN is really out to do the right thing, she stressed that her priority was not to flex muscle or entertain unnecessary squabbles within the judicial hierarchy, but to move the nation’s Judiciary forward.

“You can see that she has maintained a clean record as the foremost female judicial egg-head in the country, this is probably why she is determined to recall the PCA despite stiff opposition from so many quarters, even within the NJC itself.”

It would be recalled that a bid to reinstate Salami on Thursday met stiff opposition from some members of the NJC who maintained that the suspended PCA still has a case to answer.

“It was their argument that the PCA flouted an order the NJC made on August 10, 2011, which directed him to within 7-days, tender a written apology to both the council and the former CJN, Justice Katsina-Alu, after two separate panels found him guilty of lying on oath,” the source added.