Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George has asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to use her good offices to end judicial rascality in the country.
The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, noted that judgements from some judicial officers are becoming embarrassing to Nigerians and if care is not taken, may derail this democracy.
The PDP chieftain who stated this in a press statement on Sunday noted that judicial rascality has now become the order of the day, especially coming from courts of coordinate jurisdictions.
He said, “As the Number One Judicial Officer in the world’s most populous black nation, a bonafide Lagosian and a jurist from a family of legal luminaries, I strongly believe that the judiciary will benefit from your wealth of knowledge.
“I’m also convinced that with you at the helm of affairs of the third arm of government in Nigeria, the Judiciary will now take its rightful position, just like we witnessed from the 1950s to 1980s.
“CJN, it’ll be an understatement for me to tell you that today, and 25 years since the military left the polity for the political class, what is oozing out of the third estate of the realm is becoming offensive to millions of Nigerians, in and outside the country.
“We now have a situation in which a court, which is thousands of miles away from a theatre of partisan conflict, will give a confusing order and Nigerians will just be wondering what exactly was going on.”
He added, “Obviously, an appellate court can override the decision of a lower court but I strongly believe that a High Court, federal or state, cannot give a counter order on a case in which it has no jurisdiction against another High Court. Anything short of this will lead to judicial anarchy.
“This is the time for you to urgently call a meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to be attended by judges, from states and federal, to address this anomaly because there are many conflicting judgements from courts of coordinate jurisdiction these days.
“Nigerians no longer respect judgements from some judicial officers and you see them boldly analysing the faux pas of these judgements on national television. Enough is enough.
“From the 1950s to 1980s, judges were feared because they, to a large extent, never compromised their positions.
“Judicial chaos, anarchy and confusion to the extent that Nigerians openly say that some judges are on the payroll of many politicians.
It is that bad.
“In many cases, these Nigerians are right because any judgement should be devoid of ethnic, political, religious and partisan colouration but the reverse is the case these days.
“In many political cases since the advent of this democratic rule in 1999, millions of people believe, and rightly so, that some judges deliver Judgements, not Justice,” he added
“They recall the glorious days of former Chief Justices of Nigeria, such as Justice Stafford Foster Sutton (1955 – 1958), Justice Adetokunbo Ademola (1958 – 1972), Justice Teslim Olawale Elias (1972 – 1975), Justice Darnley Arthur Alexander (1975 – 1979), Justice Atanda Fatai Williams (1979 – 1983), Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo (1983 – 1985), Justice Gabriel Ayo Irikefe (1985 – 1987), Justice Muhammed Bello (1987 – 1995), the first Northerner to become Chief Justice of Nigeria, and others.
“They also remember, with fondness, the era of Justice Belgore, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Justice Kayode Eso, Justice Fabiyi and others. These are legal giants who stood their grounds against any form of victimisation or unnecessary manoeuvre from the Executive branch of government. You dared not look at their faces or even try to bribe them.” he said.
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