- As Okutepa insists on merit based judicial appointments
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has just announced the appointment of some new state high court judges but law teacher and rights activist, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu questions some of the appointments, pointing out that the last-minute judicial appointments by the exiting Chief Justice Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, does not mean well for the Nigerian judiciary.
Odinkalu in an X post beamed his spotlight on Ondo State where two siblings whose father was an ex Chief Judge of the state and whose other sibling is a serving judge have been appointed judges within a month.
The teacher of law in the tweet said: “So, @njcNig just cleared the last judicial nominations under Olukayode Ariwoola. In Ondo State, they nominated 6 for the High Court. 1 of them: her Dad was a CJ; her sister is a judge; her brother was appointed judge of @fcthighcourt last month. Now she is [appointed],”
Read also: NJC recommends Justice Kekere-Ekun as CJN, 28 others as Judges of diverse Courts
Likewise, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jibrin Samuel Okutepa called for the freeing of the judiciary from the abuses it faces in the country.
Okutepa in a statement released Thursday, stressed on the key role of the judiciary and the legal profession in nurturing and fortifying democracy. “All over the world, the judiciary and the legal profession hold the key to democratic growth and development,” Okutepa stated, arguing that democracy cannot thrive in a society where the judiciary is controlled by the political class.
Stressing the importance of the rule of law, Okutepa called upon all well-meaning Nigerians, particularly members of the legal profession, to champion the fight for judicial independence. He criticized the practice of summoning judges to government houses to receive cars, which are then celebrated as achievements of the executive. Okutepa argued that providing cars to judges is not an achievement but an entitlement and that the judiciary should not be treated with less dignity.
While acknowledging the difficulty in comprehending allegations of judicial corruption without empirical evidence, the Senior Advocate noted that some decisions and pronouncements by certain judges appear to lend credence to such allegations. He emphasized the need to return to the days when judgments had justice in both content and character, highlighting the existence of incorruptible judicial officers in Nigeria who have the strength of character to resist temptations and pressures.
Okutepa lamented that these upright officers often suffer stagnation and indignity in silence, lacking support for their elevation. He called upon the legal profession to identify and fight for the elevation and celebration of these judicial officers. Furthermore, he urged Nigerian politicians to leave the judiciary alone, emphasizing that the judiciary must handle its own affairs, from appointments to elevations and assignments, without outside interference.
The Senior Advocate called upon the National Judicial Council (NJC) to understand Nigerians’ concerns about the declining integrity and awe of judicial institutions. He stressed the need for the NJC to recommend only the best candidates for judicial positions, resisting any pressure to recruit individuals with character deficits. Okutepa emphasized the seriousness of a judge’s job and the importance of appointing knowledgeable lawyers who cannot be influenced by pecuniary or other considerations.
Asserting that Nigeria cannot develop if the judiciary is seen as weak and incapable of asserting its independence and impartiality in decisions, Okutepa urged the Nigerian judiciary to liberate itself from domestic domination and avoid any conduct suggestive of its availability to be used by any person or group. He highlighted the superiority of the judiciary in societies where the rule of law prevails, emphasizing that judicial decisions are not political decisions to be negotiated in breach of the constitution.
In conclusion, the Senior Advocate called upon Nigerian politicians to respect the judiciary and charged the judiciary to respect itself, stating that once the judiciary respects itself, the people will have confidence in it. He emphasized the need for confidence in the judiciary for sustainable democratic growth and development, stating that this is the way forward for Nigeria.
