Corruption in the Judiciary: Which way Nigeria?

Independent

28 Feb 2011

Corruption in the Judiciary: Which way Nigeria?

“Today, there is nothing that has put our profession and the judiciary on trial more than the widespread allegation of corruption oozing out of many election tribunals. If left unchecked, very soon the politicians will have scant regard for lawyers and their skills. They will simply come and pay you only transport fare to show your face in court. The rest, they will tell you, ‘has been taken care of.’” (Festus Keyamo, Sunday SUN, August 24, 2008.)

“The greatest threats to national cohesion and stability in Nigeria today are not only election riggers but a conservative, perfidious and corrupt judiciary. Judges, especially those who go to election tribunals, are no longer bound by the evidence before them but the amount of Naira and Dollars the parties before them can trade with. The time is near, in fact, it is here with us, when lawyers (and the legal profession itself) will become superfluous.” (This author, in this column, December 5, 2008.)

“All the judges are just using the election tribunals to make money. All those who had gone through election tribunals are millionaires today. I challenge any one of them to say no.” (Rtd. General Ishola Williams, Sunday Independent, March 14, 2010.)

“Indisputably, allegations of corruption have saturated the atmosphere of election proceedings in Nigeria. Judges have been accused of directly or indirectly working hand in glove with some of the parties to the disputes and lawyers representing them. Indeed, the magnitude of contradictory and utterly ludicrous pronouncements that have emanated from our election tribunals would seem to lend credence to the charge of corruption now besetting the judiciary… A failed judiciary, we submit, is a sign post of a failed nation.” (Leading article of the Daily Independent, March 26, 2010.)

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