Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, sharply disagreed, yesterday, on the issue of corruption in the nation’s judiciary.
While the Acting President insisted that corruption had permeated the fabrics of the society, including the judiciary, the CJN asked the executive arm of government to prove that corruption exists in the judiciary.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day event, entitled National Dialogue on Corruption, organized by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with PACAC, Osinbajo said corruption had become a cankerworm which had eaten deep into the fabrics of the society.
According to him, all segments of the society, including the three arms of government, are victims of the malaise.
He said: “Corruption as we all seem to agree, is an existential threat to Nigeria both as a nation and as a viable economic entity. Clearly, there is no doubt whatsoever whether everyone arm of government can excuse itself, every part or arm of the society can excuse itself. But the truth of the matter is that we all know that corruption in Nigeria is systemic.
“It doesn’t matter whether it is the executive arm of government, the judiciary or the legislature, every arm of government is involved in this systemic and life-threatening social anomaly called corruption.
“So, I think we should leave the finger pointing, because the finger pointing is unhelpful. What is important is that we recognise that there is a major problem here.
What I’d like us to do if that is possible in the course of this dialogue, is to look at models that have worked elsewhere and to see whether these models are somewhat applicable here. To look at best practices.
“Aside from the DSS investigation, there should be particular test and proper investigation of candidates to be appointed as judges. In some of the systems that we inherited, the UK system for instance, there is a process of almost 17 different tests before you can become a judge of the High Court.”
“The second thing is to look at the general welfare of the judges (that is the general remuneration of judicial officers). Any judge accused of any infraction must be investigated and prosecuted through the NJC to avoid political influence.”
“I stand for the committee (PACAC) and other agencies in the fight against the scourge. I will like us to realize that corruption thrives ( or any other form of injustice) thrives in a culture of impunity.”
“Not that he has nothing to say even in defense of himself?”
“If lawyers, because it takes three people to prosecute a case like I said yesterday. You have the investigator who has to investigate. You have prosecutor who has to prosecute based on the result or evidence gathered from the investigation.”
“No judicial officer will get himself involved in that. Do you know why? Because, a Judicial officer’s witness is time. Time is the only witness to a judicial officer. So, only time can tell. Tomorrow, these things will be reviewed. He could have committed suicide by the decision he arrived at.”
“I have gone through, call all the Heads of court in this country, federal and states courts and they furnished me with data on EFCC, ICPC, terrorism cases and high profile commercial cases, and one thing I can remember, funny enough, most of the cases are abandoned in the court.’’