BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE Supreme Court, on Tuesday, debunked a report that there was anxiety over the health of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad.
This is in spite of the fact that a member of the Supreme Court, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, disclosed, the same Tuesday, that the CJN had tested positive for COVID-19.
A statement, signed by the Director of Press and Information of the Supreme Court, Akande Festus, said the initial report published by a newspaper, raising concerns about the state of health of the CJN, was a product of the imagination of the author.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to the story currently in circulation with the above caption which was published on page 38 of This Day newspaper on Tuesday 15th December 2020.
“It is necessary to state that there’s no iota of truth in the claim being peddled by the publication, as there hasn’t been any indication made public or otherwise that has shown any anxiety over the CJN’s health.
“This is obviously a product of the imagination of the author of the concocted story which has literally failed the test of sound, investigative journalism as no form of enquiries were made by the Reporter before hitting the public domain with this baggage of falsehoods to mislead the public by crying wolf where none is in sight.
“The Hon. CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad being unavoidably absent at a function is not enough to plunge into this premeditated conclusion that there’s now ‘anxiety over his health.’
“The other aspect of this monumental falsehood is the erroneous claim that the ‘CJN has not been seen in public for weeks.’
“We are still at a loss as to where the Reporter got that malicious information from, as the CJN has been very active and even presided over the swearing-in of the newly appointed Justices of the Supreme Court a few weeks back.
“It should be noted that no business survives on falsehood. You cannot whip up sentiments through sensational reports to attract traffic to your media organisation.
“Certainly, such practice leads to nowhere. We must eschew acts capable of eroding our good values at all times.”
Meanwhile, Justice Saulawa had said, at the unveiling of the National Headquarters of the Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN), in Abuja, that Justice Muhammad had tested positive for COVID-19.
Justice Muhammad, who was absent during the swearing in ceremony for 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria, on Monday, was said to be receiving treatment in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
Recall that Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, who is the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, administered the oaths to the SANs.
