Former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Sani Bello have renewed calls for judicial autonomy and proper training of judicial officers in the country.
They spoke in Minna, Niger State, while opening a training for Magistrates/District Court Judges, organised by Department for International Development (DFID), United Kingdom, Judicial College, London and Africa House in collaboration with the Niger State government.
Gen. Abubakar, who chaired the occasion, called for the removal of all impediments militating against full judicial autonomy. According to him, a corrupt-free and effective judicial system can only be achieved in the face of improved funding and access to same.
Abubakar said: “Providing the enabling environment, especially in relation to the welfare and workplace for the judiciary to function optimally is very fundamental to the independence of the third arm of government.”
He decried the rot and dilapidation in courts, especially magistrates’ across the country and called for intervention by state governments.
“In terms of welfare and work places, as you go round the country, you will see dilapidated court buildings needing repairs. I think we need to look into that and try to do the repairs in order to encourage their performances,” he added.
Gen. Abubakar called for peaceful coexistence among all segments of the country, adding that the country can never develop in an atmosphere of chaos and unrest.
Tambuwal, a lawyer, described the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, which must be encouraged to deliver on its services.
He said: “If we don’t give them the training, if we don’t give them the funding, we shouldn’t expect them to perform magic, a situation whereby the third arm of government goes “cap-in-hand” to the executive for fund negates its independence.”
Tambuwal commended Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, for granting partial autonomy to the judiciary, while urging their colleagues to toe the line.
He added: “If we want a corrupt-free judiciary, we must ensure that they have their independence in terms of financial autonomy and also well remunerated as at when due.”
Bello, on his part, called for necessary judicial reforms to make justice administration easier and quicker. He said the training, which was the first in the country, was apt as it provided rare opportunities for lower court judges to tackle the new challenges confronting them through judicial activism.
