By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja.
A panel of stakeholders comprising Senior Advocates of Nigeria and notable activists on Tuesday in Abuja, charged the incoming Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-ekun, to be prepared to sanitise the judiciary in order to restore public confidence in the arm of government.
The panelists at a roundtable discussion lamented that the judiciary is currently in the wood with battered image that must be totally reformed in the interest of justice delivery.
At the roundtable discussion where a five-point agenda was prepared as a guide for the CJN nominee, are two professors of law, Ernest Ojukwu, SAN and Samuel Erugo, SAN, human rights activist Aisha Yesufu and other justice stakeholders.
Amongst others, they charged Kekere-ekun to be prepared to reform judicial appointments in such a way and manner that nepotism and favouritism would have no role to play again.
Similarly, the stakeholders also want the incoming CJN to rise to the challenge of arresting issuance of conflicting judgments and orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction in the interest of the judiciary and people.
Besides, the panelists further charged the new head of the judiciary to focus on discipline and accountability as a way of restoring the public interest into the arm of the government.
Another issue they suggested for the CJN nominee to carry out surgical operations, is in the handling of election petitions and political cases which they held had dampened the believe of Nigerians in the judiciary with the sad experience of the recent past.
The stakeholders also want Kekere-Ekun to reform the Supreme Court itself in such a way that only cases of national importance would be lodged at the apex court while minor matters should be made in the reform to terminate at the lower courts.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Tap Initiative, Mr Martin Obono, observed that the National Judicial Council (NJC), which oversees the appointment of judges has of recent come under heavy criticism, especially with the outgoing CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, accused of allegedly appointing his family members and relatives as well as children and relatives of former justices into the bench.
While alleging that the Council disregarded its guidelines over recent appointments, Obono claimed that, “there have been report of insider subversion of the applicable rules governing judicial appointments, such as the reported appointments in one instance of a candidate who scored zero in the NJC interview”.
He therefore urged the new CJN, “to commit explicitly to a policy of restoring integrity and merit to judicial appointments”, stating that achieving this would entail the introduction of transparent processes of selection, advertisment of judicial vacancies as well as in nomination of candidates, interview, short listing and final selection.
Another lawyer and member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Folarin Aluko, urged the new CJN to urgently tackle the incidences of conflicting judgements and abuse of interim injunctions.
“There should be clear practice directions on management (where) territorial jurisdiction overlaps. It is suggested for this purpose that the structure and scope of such overlaps be agreed at the All Nigerian Conference of Judges and the Practice Directions should be uniform across all the court systems in the country”, he said.
On her part, Aisha Yesufu, called for the introduction of a mechanism for increased financial transparency, accountability and public reporting so as to restore public trust.
She also stated that disciplinary processes should be “both prompt and decisive and dispositions or punishment should be calibrated to be proportionate to the seriousness of the misconduct found.
Professor Ojukwu advised the new CJN not to do anything that would make Nigerians emotional but make the principle of equity, fairness and justice her watchword.
The law professor also wants the court to device a means of removing itself from election cases so that leaders would be the true choices of the electorates and not the court.
Another law professor, Samuel Erugo, SAN, suggested that the Supreme Court should be reformed in such a way that it can review its own judgements especially when there is great public outcry.
Justice Kekere-Ekun is expected to take over the leadership of the Nigeria’s judiciary on Thursday when the incumbent, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, would proceed on retirement having attained the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
