President Buhari Muhammadu has conferred the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) merit award on the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the conferment of GCON on Tanko took place following the swearing-in of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the acting CJN.
President Buhari poured encomium on Tanko, who resigned as CJN on the grounds of ill health.
Buhari said: “Nigeria’s Judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice of Nigeria Tanko Muhammed judiciously exercised the Judicial powers of the Federation.
“His era witnessed several landmark, jurisprudential and policy decisions by the Supreme Court, and by extension other Courts established by the Constitution.
“CJN Tanko dealt firmly with the issue of reckless and indiscriminate grant of ex-parte Orders that was assuming serious dimensions.
“History will be kind to Justice Tanko Muhammed for his modest contributions to Nigeria’s Judiciary, the strengthening of our democracy and national development.
“In line with the custom of decorating Chief Justices of Nigeria with the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, (GCON), and upon the advice of the Council of State in that regard, as his Lordship CJN I. Tanko Muhammed is taking a bow from the Supreme Court, I hereby bestow on him the National Honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, (GCON)”.
TNG reports Tanko was sworn in as CJN in January 2019 following the suspension and later sack of former CJN Walter Onnoghen.
In a historic move on February 12, he included lawyers among those to be considered in the next round of appointments as Justices of the Supreme Court.
On June 21, Tanko responded to a memo sent to him by 14 Justices of the Apex Curt complaining of poor welfare conditions and the deplorable state of the court.
Tanko addressed the wide-ranging issues, including non-provision of diesel allowances for Justices, non-provision of equipped offices, accommodation, and the complete set of vehicles for new Justices appointed two years ago, among others.
He also addressed the issue of the non-holding of regular meetings with the justices.
The internet services, he said, have been restored to Justices’ residences and chambers, just as some allowances have been paid to them.
He allayed the fear of the general public assuring that “there’s no hostility or adverse feelings amongst the Justices of the Supreme Court, as everyone is going about his normal duty.”
”Judges in all climes are to be seen and not heard,” he said.
The brief ceremony was witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and some Justices the of Supreme Court.