TheCable

Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria, has appointed Ayo Salami, a former president of the appeal court, as the chairman of Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO).

Soji Oye, spokesman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Oye said the decision to appoint Salami and other members of the committee was taken at the 82nd council meeting of the body.

“The committee’s primary functions include – regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide. Advising the chief justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delay in the trial of alleged corruption cases,” the statement by Oye read.

“Giving feedback to the council on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts and evaluating the performance of the designated courts.

“It will be recalled that the chief justice of Nigeria in his speech at the special session of the supreme court of Nigeria to mark the commencement of the 2017/2018 legal year, emphasised on the concerns expressed by members of the public on the very slow speed with which corruption cases were being heard or determined by the court.”

Other members of the committee are; Kashim Zannah, chief judge of Borno; P.O. Nnadi, chief judge of Imo; Marsahal Umukoro, chief judge of Delta; M. L. Abimbola, chief Judge of Oyo; and A.B Mahmoud, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Others are; Wole Olanipekun, a former NBA president; Olisa Agbakoba, J.B Daudu, Augustine Alegeh SAN, Garba Tetengi, R.I Inga, Gambo Saleh and representatives of ministry of justice, institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Salami left the appellate court on a controversial note. The NJC suspended him over allegations that he was involved in telephone conversations with chieftains of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the appeal in the election suit between Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former governor of Osun and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Rauf Aregbesola, incumbent governor and then ACN candidate.

When the NJC lifted his suspension, the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan refused to reinstate him.