I would have let this go but as a lawyer I have to speak up now. Politicians must let out courts be. In the last one month, I have noticed a trend at the Lawyers Common Room in Port Harcourt. Lately lawyers have been seen in clusters discussing and analyzing the Rivers State Election Petition, stating which party in their view has a better case and is likely to win at the Supreme Court. Rightly, this is understandably what lawyers would naturally do. However, the seems to be a departure from the ethics of the profession and the sacred believes in sanctity of the courts and the judges. On Monday the 18th day of January 2016, I noticed something unusual and disturbing. The Attorney General of Rivers State, Mr Chinwe Aguma who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a very revered position in the legal profession, sitting in the lawyers common room at Port Harcourt and unethically discussing with four other lawyers some issues that could be best described as sacred. Even though their conversation seemed to be in a very low tune, the Attorney General absentmindedly ignored the that there were three other lawyers in the room, two sales persons who were non lawyers also in the common room and he unwittingly demonstrated that he could undermine and compromise the course of justice, even as he tried to discredit the Supreme Court indirectly.
What was his conversation with these senior lawyers: he was briefing them, as he claimed, of the assurances Gov Wike has received from four justices of the Supreme Court and that Justice Mary Odili was helping them talk to her brother Justices; How they have reached the 2nd and 3rd most senior Justices in the Supreme Court; how Gov Wike flew into Dubai three weeks ago to firm up with CJN's contacts; how they have been assured that the Supreme Court will cancel about four (4) or more Local Government Elections so that Gov Wike would still be in the lead; how CJN and some Justices of the Supreme Court are still not happy with Amaechi over the Rivers State Chief Judge appointment crisis; how that some justices have advised them to initiate subtle but consistent attacks on the Court of Appeal judgment in the newspapers as to weep up sentiments; how that Gov Wike released N4billion to Dr. Peter Odili early enough for the renovation of Government House so that Justice Odili will have easy access to funds to reach out to other justices without suspicions arising from issue of transfer of funds; how that Nigeria will be shocked at the turn of events at the Supreme Court judgement and so on and so forth.
I thought that those were too much of information to be let out just over some drinks and so I called the attention of one of the lawyers to the fact that some non lawyers were in the common room, that ended the conversation anyways. I expected commendation, but what I got was a knock on the head. I was rather astonished by Mr. Aguma's subsequent action, which is my reason for warning that Rivers State should let Justice Odili be. As Mr. Aguma stepped out, I walked up to him as my senior colleague and told him that the common room was not a proper place for such conversations and that one of the sales persons was rapt listening to him. Guess what, Mr. Aguma's reaction was incredulous. He busted out: "And so what? Is APC not reaching out to the Judges as well; are you people not reaching out?" My subtle attempt to make him realize that I was neither Rivers nor partisan but was expressing genuine concern; firstly as a lawyer with high regards for the sanctity of the Courts, especially the Supreme Court and secondly as an Imolite who would do everything within his powers to protect his own from been discredited and painted in bad light for no cause. He said to me: "you can go tell APC for all I care or post it on social media as your people have always done, it won't make any difference right now" Honestly, at this point I lost my cool and said to him that assuming that APC was speaking to the Judges as he claimed, neither Amaechi nor his supporters were on the streets and market places boasting as he has done. It is not only shameful and unbecoming that Mr. Aguma, a senior lawyer of his standing and status would make such reckless statements but also attempted to justify his indirect aspersions on the integrity and neutrality of the Supreme Court. II warned him to stay clear of Justice Mary Odili as we the Imolite will not fold our hands and watch any group of individuals attempt to tarnish her image because of personal and selfish interests.
Let me emphasis that Justice Odili's appointment was from Imo State, and we shall defend that position. Whatever relationship Chinwe Aguma claims to have with Dr. Peter Odili's family should not be used to tarnish the image of the erudite Justice. I also want to advise Mr. Chinwe Aguma to apply discretion in his utterances and actions. As the Attorney General of a State and a senior member of the bar, he should have self discipline and set personal restrictions on his consumption so he does not unreasonably and uncontrollably indulge himself in excessive social matters within official hours. That way he would have full control of his actions and thought pattern.
Let it be known that my concern is my sister. Please, leave Justice Mary Odili in your propaganda and your boasts. Leave her alone.
Osondu C. M
Lawyer, Port Harcourt
