A RETIRING Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Stanley Alagoa, Friday said politicians, traditional rulers and businessmen are the greatest challenge facing the judiciary.
Speaking at a valedictory session held in his honour after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70, Justice Alagoa said these classes of persons bribe, intimidate, harass or influence Judges to depart from their sacred oath of office.
Justice Alagoa said any Judge who hobnobs with them might well be unwittingly allowing his/her position to be compromised and even jeopardised.
“A Judge most hold fast to his faith in God and be bold. This done, this class of persons, like bees, can only buzz around, but must certainly lack power and ability to sting.
“A necessary first step is the selection process. Only men and women of proven integrity and courage should be picked to sit on the bench. The bar must be made to play an important role in this selection.
“Unfortunately, Judges are among the most maligned people, as baseless and frivolous petitions are sometimes written against them.
“When an allegation of corrupt practices or wrongdoing is made against a Judge, it is necessary to investigate that allegation very carefully and thoroughly, and I would substantiated, appropriate punishment should be meted out to the erring Judge.”
The retiring jurist therefore called on Judges to see themselves as agents of God and strive to maintain transparency and honesty in all their dealings, as well as carry themselves with quiet dignity that is different from arrogance.
In her own speech, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, extolled the virtues of Justice Alagoa, describing him as a seasoned justice, who had advanced the frontiers of knowledge and contributed greatly to the progressive development of the law in the country.
Also speaking at the occasion, Chief T.J. Okpoko (SAN) emphasised the need for a reform in the justice system and commended the efforts of the CJN to sanitise the Judiciary, describing it as a new beginning.
He said: “These are structural reforms of the legal institutions in the country, which will require legislation. This is not within the control of the legal profession.
“Of such reforms, I will say nothing now until the Nigerian dream at a national conference is actualised.
“In recent years, changes at the headship of the Supreme Court have been frequent. On assumption of office, a Chief Justice requires time to settle down to the new office in order to become master of the system.”
“Such frequent change of leadership of the apex court cannot make for stable policy formulation or execution.
“This is not to suggest any elongation of the present age of retirement.”
The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), on its part, called on the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Presidency to change the approach and procedure for appointment of justices to the apex court.
It stated: “There is a worrisome high turnover of Justices in the Supreme Court. Take for instance, all the Justices in the court as at 2004 are now retired. As at today, only six out of the 16 Justices in 2008 are presently serving.
“In the past seven years, we have had six CJNs, and by 2016, that is in three years, at least nine Justices of this court, as presently constituted, will have retired.
“What should we do about this high level of turn over?”
Source: Guardian
