Following Justice Ayo Salami’s rejection of his appointment as head of the Corruption and Financial Crimes Cases Trial Monitoring Committee (COTRIMCO, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has appointed Suleiman Galadima, a retired justice of the supreme court, as the new chairman.
NJC announced this in a statement by Soyi Oje, its director of information on Tuesday, October 31.
Salami, retired president of the court of appeal, rejected the appointment for personal reasons.
Oje’s statement said Galadima and other members of the committee would be inaugurated at the supreme court by 2 pm on Wednesday, November 1.
Said the statement: “The National Judicial Council under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Mr. Justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, GCON, has picked a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Hon. Justice Mr. Suleiman Galadima, CFR, as the new chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee.
“He is to replace Hon. Justice Mr. Ayo Salami (retired) who excused himself from the committee as the chairman, after initially accepting to serve.
“The committee will be inaugurated tomorrow, Wednesday, November 1st, 2017 by Hon. Justice Mr. Onnoghen, at the Council’s Conference Hall by 2pm.”
The committee, the statement added, has been mandated to “monitor and regularly evaluate the progress and activities of courts designated to try corruption an financial/economic crime cases; advise on practice directions for approval by the chief justice of Nigeria to be applicable in all such courts across the country; advise on the trainings, re-trainings and other refresher programmes for Judges and staff of the designated courts aimed at enhancing their capacities to function effectively.”
President Muhammadu Buhari announced the committee during his Independence Day broadcast on October 1.
Below are members of the committee:
S/N NAME DESIGNATION
1 Hon. Justice Suleiman Galadima, CFR Chairman
2 Hon. Justice Kashim Zannah (OFR) Chief Judge, Borno State
3 Hon. Justice P.O. Nnadi Chief Judge, Imo State
4 Hon. Justice Marsahal Umukoro Chief Judge Delta State
5 Hon. Justice M. L. Abimbola Chief Judge, Oyo State
6 Mr. A.B Mahmoud OON, SAN President, Nigerian Bar Association
7 Chief Wole Olanipekun OFR SAN Former NBA President
8 Mr. Olisa Agbakoba OON SAN
9 Mr. J.B Daudu SAN
10 Mr. Augustine Alegeh SAN
11 Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN Member, NJC
12 Mrs. R.I Inga
13 Mrs. Hajara Yusuf Representative, Ministry of Justice
14 Alhaji Kabiru Alkali Mohammed, mni Representative, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
15 Olanrewaju Suraju Representative, Non-Governmental Organisations
16 Ahmed Gambo Saleh, Esq Secretary, NJC