President Muhammadu Buhari has finally accepted the retirement letter of suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
Onnoghen, 68, was due for retirement in 2020, but he turned in his resignation letter as CJN on April 4, 2019, to save himself from prosecution.
In a statement on Saturday, President Buhari said he had accepted the ‘voluntary retirement’ of Onnoghen and thanked him for his service to the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the voluntary retirement from service of Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria, effective from May 28, 2019.
“The President thanked Justice Onnoghen for his service to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wished him the best of retirement life,” the statement said.
The NJC had recommended Onnoghen for compulsory retirement after deliberating on a petition by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging “financial impropriety, infidelity to the constitution and other economic and financial crimes related laws”.
His retirement benefits in cash and kind will cost taxpayers about N2.5 billion.
As part of the package for retired Chief Justice, a house will be built for him in Abuja with a nine-digit sum for furnishing — in addition to a severance gratuity that is 300% of his annual basic salary of N3,363,972.50, as well as pension for life. He is also entitled to a number of domestic staff and sundry allowances for personal upkeep.
Onnoghen has been in the eye of storm for corruption allegations in recent times.
