GOVERNORS ARE SABOTAGING JUDICIARY, CJN ALLEGES
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar has blamed state governors for judges’ poor conditions of service and the deplorable state of courts in the country.
She also accused the governors of refusing to obey the constitution which they swore to uphold.
Justice Mukhtar, who will be retiring as the CJN in about two days from now, appealed to judges and magistrates in the country not to use the existence of these problems as a reason to perpetrate fraud or indulge in dishonest dealings and unwholesome conduct.
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Conference of All Nigeria Judges of the Lower Courts, organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Mukhtar said that she was aware that judges of the lower courts in many states worked under horrible and sordid conditions, with some magistrates sitting in classroom blocks and village town halls.
She said, “Some customary and area courts sit in rented apartments. I am also aware that in some states, courts have been closed down due to political squabbles among politicians. I have heard of stories of magistrates being abducted and in many cases murdered by unknown persons due to lack of security. All these factors are so debilitating on the performance of judicial functions.
“Nobody would like to work under such deplorable and insecure environment. Some of these problems are man-made. These are occasioned by the refusal of some state governors to respect the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend. How can they protect and defend what they do not respect?”
The outgoing CJN, therefore, called on state governors to implement the constitutional provisions in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court in this respect.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar has blamed state governors for judges’ poor conditions of service and the deplorable state of courts in the country.
She also accused the governors of refusing to obey the constitution which they swore to uphold.
Justice Mukhtar, who will be retiring as the CJN in about two days from now, appealed to judges and magistrates in the country not to use the existence of these problems as a reason to perpetrate fraud or indulge in dishonest dealings and unwholesome conduct.
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Conference of All Nigeria Judges of the Lower Courts, organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Mukhtar said that she was aware that judges of the lower courts in many states worked under horrible and sordid conditions, with some magistrates sitting in classroom blocks and village town halls.
She said, “Some customary and area courts sit in rented apartments. I am also aware that in some states, courts have been closed down due to political squabbles among politicians. I have heard of stories of magistrates being abducted and in many cases murdered by unknown persons due to lack of security. All these factors are so debilitating on the performance of judicial functions.
“Nobody would like to work under such deplorable and insecure environment. Some of these problems are man-made. These are occasioned by the refusal of some state governors to respect the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend. How can they protect and defend what they do not respect?”
The outgoing CJN, therefore, called on state governors to implement the constitutional provisions in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court in this respect.
these problems as a reason to perpetrate fraud or indulge in dishonest dealings and unwholesome conduct.
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Conference of All Nigeria Judges of the Lower Courts, organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Mukhtar said that she was aware that judges of the lower courts in many states worked under horrible and sordid conditions, with some magistrates sitting in classroom blocks and village town halls.
She said, “Some customary and area courts sit in rented apartments. I am also aware that in some states, courts have been closed down due to political squabbles among politicians. I have heard of stories of magistrates being abducted and in many cases murdered by unknown persons due to lack of security. All these factors are so debilitating on the performance of judicial functions.
“Nobody would like to work under such deplorable and insecure environment. Some of these problems are man-made. These are occasioned by the refusal of some state governors to respect the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend. How can they protect and defend what they do not respect?”
The outgoing CJN, therefore, called on state governors to implement the constitutional provisions in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court in this respect.
“If this is done, some of these problems would become issues of the past,” she said, appealing to the governor not to capitalise on the existence of these problems as a reason to indulge in dishonest dealings.
She asked the judges to resist every temptation no matter how over- bearing they might seem.
She said: “Since you have accepted to do this work knowing of these challenges involved, you must do it honestly, dexterously, diligently and with utmost integrity and transparency. Like Caesar’s wife, you must be above board. You must be incorruptible,” she charged them.
Justice Mukhtar reminded them that, as judges of the lower courts, they were the judicial first port of call and preside over courts located nearest to the people both in urban and rural areas. Therefore, they must conduct themselves properly, by abiding by the Code of Conduct for judicial officers of Nigeria.
Source: Leadership
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Conference of All Nigeria Judges of the Lower Courts, organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Justice Mukhtar said that she was aware that judges of the lower courts in many states worked under horrible and sordid conditions, with some magistrates sitting in classroom blocks and village town halls.
She said, “Some customary and area courts sit in rented apartments. I am also aware that in some states, courts have been closed down due to political squabbles among politicians. I have heard of stories of magistrates being abducted and in many cases murdered by unknown persons due to lack of security. All these factors are so debilitating on the performance of judicial functions.
“Nobody would like to work under such deplorable and insecure environment. Some of these problems are man-made. These are occasioned by the refusal of some state governors to respect the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend. How can they protect and defend what they do not respect?”
The outgoing CJN, therefore, called on state governors to implement the constitutional provisions in line with the judgment of the Federal High Court in this respect.
“If this is done, some of these problems would become issues of the past,” she said, appealing to the governor not to capitalise on the existence of these problems as a reason to indulge in dishonest dealings.
She asked the judges to resist every temptation no matter how over- bearing they might seem.
She said: “Since you have accepted to do this work knowing of these challenges involved, you must do it honestly, dexterously, diligently and with utmost integrity and transparency. Like Caesar’s wife, you must be above board. You must be incorruptible,” she charged them.
Justice Mukhtar reminded them that, as judges of the lower courts, they were the judicial first port of call and preside over courts located nearest to the people both in urban and rural areas. Therefore, they must conduct themselves properly, by abiding by the Code of Conduct for judicial officers of Nigeria.
Source: Leadership
No comments:
Post a Comment