Following the
insinuations trailing recent pronouncements of the Supreme Court regarding
governorship elections and other cases, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice
Mahmud Mohammed, said yesterday the critics are ignorant of the law.
He said those calling
the judicial officers corrupt are being inconsiderate and ignorant of how the
judiciary operates. Speaking at the valedictory court session in honour of
retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie, the
CJN said: “Such criticisms are made without due considerations of the law and
the system of government in the country.” Acccording to him, the judiciary is
duty-bound to act and would continue to act in accordance with the dictates of
the law as it stands and not as its critics would want it to be. Also,
President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
Augustine Alegeh,
yesterday condemned those disparaging the image of the judiciary, saying their
action was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of judges and the system.
He said it was
unfortunate that politicians will commend the Supreme Court only when decisions
favour them. “It is sad to note that some persons who commend the Supreme Court
when the decisions favour them will deride the same court when the decisions go
against them.
“The NBA will continue
to defend the Supreme Court which remains the highest court of our land as the
court has always dispensed justice in accordance with the law,” he said.
Saying that it is the
duty of the Federal Government to provide a secured environment for judicial
workers, the NBA boss stressed the need for the courts to be adequately
fortified and made safe for both judicial officers and the litigants.
According to him,”
instances where judicial officers are threatened in open courts by litigants or
counsel are highly regrettable and condemnable. The NBA will not hesitate to
take disciplinary steps against counsel who engage in this show of shame.”
While admitting that
there may be few bad eggs in the system, the NBA boss urged the public to stop
generalizing the whole judiciary as being corrupt, stressing that people with
such allegations should come out with facts.
He said, “the NBA
restates unequivocally that the categorization of the entire judiciary as
corrupt is a misconception and will stand solidly behind the judiciary in any
attempt to intimidate or harass its personnel.
“The NBA, however,
wishes to sound a note of warning to the few bad eggs in the system to desist
from further causing untold embarrassment to the judicial arm of government and
will henceforth, sanction any judicial officer involved in or suspected to be
involved in any corrupt or fraudulent transaction to the appropriate quarters
for action,” he said.
On his part, Justice
Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie solicited for a mutual respect and relationship
between the legislative and the judiciary, pointing out that the Constitution
provides for separation of powers and independence of the three arms of
government.
“I am using this medium
to appeal to government at all levels to free the judiciary from the bondage it
has been subjected to over the years.
“Let it not just be said
to be independent, but should indeed be seen to be transparently independent.
Under-funded and neglected over the years which he said has negatively impacted
on the infrastructure and personnel within the system. This reduces
productivity, increases frustration and deflates morale,” he said.
He advocated that
retired justices be accorded the benefit of annual medical treatment locally
and abroad if the need arises, adding that retiring justices of the Supreme
Court who are not CJN should be granted some money to build houses to avoid the
embarrassment of living as tenants after reaching the pinnacle of their career
in service to their fatherland.
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