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Tag: Judges

  • Only fit, proper judges will preside over courts – Buhari 

    Only fit, proper judges will preside over courts – Buhari 

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced the process of ensuring that persons, Judges and Justices recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for appointment into various Courts of Record in the instant are fit and proper, and are not under any disability to function as Judicial Officers.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the President’s position is in furtherance of the executive powers vested in him under Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows him as the appointing authority to exercise same reasonably, taking all relevant factors into consideration.

    “Nigerians are assured that President Buhari will issue his approval or otherwise as soon as the process of the background verification is completed,” it stated.

  • NJC gets petitions against Ajumogobia, two other judges

    NJC gets petitions against Ajumogobia, two other judges

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sent petitions to the National Judicial Council (NJC) against three judges for alleged bribery and corruption, abuse of office and unethical practices.

    The judges are Justice Rita Ngozi Ajumogobia and Justice Hyeladzira. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court and Justice Agbadu James Fishim of the National Industrial Court(NIC).

    It was also learnt that evidence and details of the cases against the judges have been presented to the NJC for consideration.

    According to a highly-placed source in NJC, the EFCC’s petitions to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, are  dated January 5, 2018.

    The source said: “I am aware the EFCC has written petitions to the NJC against the three judges based on some of the charges already preferred against them.

    “I think the only difference now is that the EFCC has submitted its findings to the NJC to enable it to take disciplinary action (if necessary) against the judges some of who are currently not sitting to hear cases.

    “This is in line with the position of the NJC that it ought to look into the cases against judges on merit before taking any suspected ones to court. The petitions are in line with a new understanding between the Executive and the Judiciary.”

    In one of the petitions, the EFCC said it received intelligence report against Justice Nganjiwa  on allegation of “unlawful enrichment.”

    Some of the allegations against Nganjiwa (including those already in the public domain) are running a firm, as a principal officer and director.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that Nganjiwa also operated the firm’s bank account.

    “From June 2012 till the commencement of investigation, Justice Nganjiwa enriched himself to the tune of N61, 912.465. That investigation revealed that part of the enrichment represents contracts by him through this company account.”

    In the petition against Justice Ajumogobia, the EFCC accused her of operating foreign accounts with HSBC UK (Account number 40460951625 233) and Barclays Bank, UK with number 1093492.

    “That Ajumogobia has a substantial interest in a foreign company in the UK with account number 10934925/10631301 with FBN UK

    “The firm was incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles on 25th of June 2012 with 100,000 shares of $1 each wholly owned by her.

    “In November 2016, Hon. Justice Ajumogobia and Godwin Obla (SAN) were charged to court on a 30-count charge before Hon. Justice Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court of Lagos State,

    “There were communications between Justice Ajumogobia and Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) during the pendency of a criminal suit. Whilst the suit was pending, Obla gratified Ajumogobia on 21st day of May 2015.”

    Concerning Justice Fishim, the EFCC alleged that he received money from seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, one other Lagos-based lawyer and one law firm between 2013 and 2015.

    It told NJC that Justice Fishim was already facing a 19-count charge before Justice Raliat Adebiyi of Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

    It claimed that Justice Fishim had alleged significant increase in his assets that he cannot reasonably explain in relation to his lawful income.”

    The EFCC has filed an application before the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal which quashed the 14 charges fixed against Justice Nganjiwa before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere on June 23.

     

  • CJ: Judges, support staff bound by same rules

    CJ: Judges, support staff bound by same rules

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, has said the same set of rules, regulations and allegiance that apply to judges  also apply to those who work with them.

    She said it was imperative for support staff to know that they are bound by some set of rules that bind judges.

    The Chief Judge, who gave this explanation while responding to questions from newsmen when judiciary workers swore to oath of secrecy and allegiance at the High Court in Ikeja, also stated that the exercise was intended to bring dignity to the workers in the judiciary such that litigants would have respect for them.

    She said the judiciary as an institution, which deals with justice delivery, has very important documents that must be kept sacred and which cannot be allowed to be toyed with.

    Justice Oke enunciated that the oath taking was introduced because the judiciary has received series of “petitions and complaints about judgments leaking out, certain exhibits missing and so on.

    “So, this is to prevent that and secondly and most importantly, it is a way of also curbing corruption. When you have your oath taking, you know the implications of your action and every action also has a resultant effect. If  you violate that, you know what the resultant effect of that will be,”she maintained.

    Justice Oke lamented that corruption has eaten deep into so many establishments “and we are determined in the Lagos State Judiciary to make a difference”.

    She said: “It is a new year. It is a new dawn and we want to make a difference. So, it is a joint effort and it is necessary, it is a very fundamental exercise that will help the image of the Lagos State Judiciary and to have more confidence from the public that we serve because we are service providers.”

    Justice Oke reiterated that she has a mission to leave behind a judiciary that”every Lagosian, every Nigerian can be proud of, judiciary that can stand shoulder to shoulder with others and foremost judiciary around the world.

    “My mission is to leave a judiciary where litigants will come and when you lose a case, you will be leaving the court smiling and be able to say to yourself, yes, I lost the case, not because of corruption but because I have a bad case,”she said.

     

  • Anti-graft war: Experts seek cooperation amongst judges, lawyers

    Worried by the growing level of animosity between members of the Bar and the Bench, experts have impressed on both parties the need to build a synergy of cooperation in order not to pervert the cause of justice.

    These were the submissions of a cross-section of senior lawyers and judges at a public forum organised by the Faculty of Law Class of 1984 of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). The occasion was the annual class reunion dinner in Lagos.

    In his welcome address the President of the Class, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye who also doubles as the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said forging a cordial relationship between the bench and the bar is absolutely necessary in the interest of the public which relies on the judiciary.

    Prof. Owasanoye, who was represented by Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa, Dean Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, said a synergy of cooperation among the learned colleagues can best achieve if both parties remain as professionals.

    Speaking on the theme of the dinner, tagged: ‘Promoting Healthier Relationship between the Bar and the Bench,’ Justice Wale Abiru said, as senior lawyers there is need to respect the bench not because of the person there but because of the office.

    “Even if you know the person before and the person was a nobody, that person should be accorded the right respect. It is for the office. The judicial office must be accorded absolute respect and the reason is that because the judiciary no matter how much people might want to criticise it is still the only institution in this country that represents the common people. We must as a group whether as lawyers, as judges protect that institution and unless we do that we are going to destroy the entire system.”

    Expatiating, Justice Abiru who is Justice of the Appeal Court in Jos, said: “The other issue that I think we need to look at is the frosty relationship between the bench and the bar. As members of the bench, we are to be seen and not to be heard. My take is that as lawyers if you see things that affect the bench, the bar should defend the bench.

    What has happened over the years is that the bar always antagonizes the bench a lot. It’s happening a lot. You find lawyers once a judge gives an order I court, he walks into a media house and start abusing the judge over what has happened in court. Once you destroy that institution as a lawyer you have nowhere else to run to if the chips are down.”

    Also speaking on the occasion, Ayo Akintunde (SAN) while making light of the issue, said these days some of the high place judges are suffering from judgitis, which he described as a tendency for being wicked, mean and unsparing by judges, especially in the discharge of their civic duties as He regretted that before now there was mutual understanding and respect between the bar and the bench. “Without the rule of law the society cannot function well. Unless there is cohesion and harmony amongst these two parties, things may not always walk well.”

     

  • Immunity for judges?

    SIR: UNAMBIGUOUSLY, Section 98 of the Criminal Code, CAP C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, provides for ‘official corruption’ by public officials including inviting or receiving bribes, property or benefits for a favour in the discharge of official duties, and pegged the punishment to seven years imprisonment if found guilty of the felony. The classification clearly includes judicial officers and condition precedent is commission or omission of deeds that are listed therein.

    The theory of separation of powers is domiciled in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria providing for each of the three arms of government, to wit; executive, legislature and judiciary some degrees of protection from interferences. Essentially, the objective is to entrench checks and balances in governance against absolutism.

    The Court of Appeal in Hon Justice Ngajiwa v FRN par Justice Obaseki Adejumo, JCA in the lead judgment stated that by the doctrine of separation of powers in the constitution, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacks powers to investigate or prosecute serving judicial officers except such judicial officers have first been dismissed or retired by the National Judicial Council (NJC).  However, the court failed to put into consideration a scenario where a particular act by a judicial officer amounts to both a criminal offence and gross misconduct which implies that whilst the NJC battles it as a gross misconduct, the Police or EFCC freely investigates and prosecutes on the criminal aspects. Emphatically, a deed could simultaneously amount to misconduct and crime, and distinguishably, the former only breaches professional ethics unlike crimes that are offences against the state.

    In all fairness, the judgment is isolationistic for the judiciary. It implies that the court has diplomatically designed additional immunity clauses for the judiciary, on a par with the president, vice president, governors and deputies. The legislature too have severally, moved motions to accord same to their principal officers but still pirouetting. It therefore leaves the helpless masses as the only losers without any immunity as any misconduct pitilessly quarantines them up to the maximum prison.

    By the existing constitutional arrangements, judicial officers are not immune from criminal prosecutions except while on official duties. A judicial officer who commits criminal offences can be arrested outside the court premises as official duties are strictly limited to juristic obligations which bribery, treasury-looting, murder and other vices are not inclusive. At the moment, immunity from criminal prosecution is provided in Section 308 CFRN and covers only the government officials listed therein.

    A salient question is – could a judge who pulled out a rifle and shot a person be left for NJC to investigate prior to prosecution by the Police? Even whilst the immunity as stated above subsists, Section 143 supra unequivocally enabled the legislature which is a different arm, pursuant to checks and balances, to investigate the executive officials covered by the clause and if culpable, impeach them in lieu of prosecution unlike the present strange judicial missile that judicial officers are untouchable except by colleagues in the profession.

    The verdict is a mockery on the Montesquieu theory and must not see green light at the apex court.

     

    • Carl Umegboro,

    Lagos.

  • Firm unveils feedback system for judges

    A leading legal technologies company, LawPavilion, has launched the Appellate Feedback System for Judges (AFSJ).

    It will help the Judiciary to monitor judgments from courts of  first instance to the Supreme Court, the firm said.

    LawPavilion’s Managing Director Ope Olugasa said AFSJ was developed in response to the need for judges to be promptly notified when matters they pronounced upon are decided by appellate courts.

    The innovation was unveiled at the Biennial Judges’ Conference, organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja.

    “The AFSJ is an ingenious attempt to give judges an impartial feedback on their performance such that they are personally motivated to consider all facts and the law before making pronouncements on the matter before them.

    “This would greatly enhance the quality of judgments, even at appellate levels, as the pronouncements of the Court of Appeal that have been appealed would also be captured in the system,” he said.

    According to Olugasa, the AFSJ could serve as a testament to the quality of judges in a state, be used in collating results across states and generate a series of indicators on areas of improvement.

    “For example, at the end of a legal year and based on the number of judgments that are upturned or upheld, the system can generate results, which indicate which state has successfully secured the upholding of criminal matters or civil matters of a particular nature.

    “Such results will in turn be very useful for commercial investors, who can almost predict the outcomes of disputes that go to court in a particular state.

    “Such data is independent and can subsequently be relied upon by state governments and the administrators of the judiciary to come up with tailored training solutions to adequately equip judges and magistrates within their jurisdiction,” Olugasa said.

    The LawPavilion boss urged judiciary administrators to take advantage of the product, adding that it would also assist the National Judicial Council (NJC) in its evaluations and in profiling suitable candidates for elevation to higher courts.

    “Such information would guide the state judicial commissions to source for and equip prospective judges/magistrates with skills, either in the areas where the state appears to be very strong and exceptional or in areas where the judgments from that state have consistently been upturned and thus in need of some improvement.

    “Indeed, it is a new dawn in the Nigerian judiciary with LawPavilion’s innovative solution, which will place Nigerian Judiciary on the global map in an unprecedented style,” Olugasa added.

  • SERAS unveils 2017 judges

    The organisers of the sustainability, enterprise and responsibility awards otherwise known as The SERAS CSR Awards Africa have announced a list nine erudite professionals and global CSR and sustainability industry leading figures for the 2017 jury panel.

    The judges would serve a two year tenure that could be renewed. The list comprises Deborah Leipziger, Tunde Arogunmati, Maria Silanpaa, Jonathon Hanks, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Dr. Ini Usoroh, Scott Walker, Indira Kartallozi and Olusegun McMedal.

    The committee would be presided over by Deborah Leipziger, author of the Corporate Responsibility Code Book and SA8000: The Definitive Guide to the New Social Standard.

    She also advises companies, governments and UN agencies on corporate responsibility issues. Other members are Tunde Arogunmati, a specialist in business strategy and former president of the Nigerian- British Association who sits as the vice President of the panel. Jonathon Hanks is founder and director at Incite, an advocacy-based consultancy network in South Africa.

    Maria Silanpaa is an internationally recognised corporate social responsibility and sustainability leader and founder of Sustainability Advisory Group (SAG). In 2011, CSR International rated her third amongst global practitioners.

    Adesuwa Onyenokwe, a successful broadcaster who has spent the last 35 years in the industry promoting the rights of girls, women and children and publisher of Today’s Woman Magazine. Scott Walkeris the founding Director of N.Y.l on Consulting, which provides public policy, public affairs and corporate sustainability solutions.

    Dr. Ini Usoroh holds a Ph.D in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development from Nottingham Trent University, U.K. and currently consults for several organisations in Nigeria and the UK.

    Others on the list include Olusegun McMedal, a media entrepreneur, public relations advisor and current chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and Indira Kartallozi, founder and director of Chrysalis Family Futures- a social enterprise that stands for protection and empowering of human and socio-economic rights of vulnerable and marginalised families and children.

  • Buhari, S/Court judges meet in Aso Rock

    Buhari, S/Court judges meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met with a delegation of the judges of the Supreme Court.

    The judges were led into the meeting by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    The meeting, which began around 2:00pm, took place inside the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filling this report.

     

     

     

    Details later…

  • NJC begins probe of 15 judges

    NJC begins probe of 15 judges

    • Welcomes Zamfara’s acceptance of Justice Anka’s sack over N200, 000 bribe

    The National Judicial Council (NJC) is probing 15 judges for alleged misconduct.

    Two of those under investigation are Chief Judges.

    Fifteen committees – one for each of the cases – have been constituted to handle the petitions.

    But the NJC’s Informastion Director Soji Oye, who confirmed the probe in a statement, did not name the judges.

    Oye said the NJC constituted the committees at its 83rd meeting last week in Abuja after considering the reports of the two Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committees (PCAC) it set up to examine 46 petitions written against judges of federal and state courts.

    The NJC also agreed to recommend Lagos lawyer Adesina Ogunlana to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC.) for allegedly using “uncouth” language in a petition he wrote against a former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade.

    Oye said the NJC treated as withdrawn, the petitions against Ondo State’s Acting Chief Judge, Justice O. O. Akeredolu and Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court.

    NJC, he said, issued two letters of advice to Hon. Mr. Justice M. A. Dada of the Lagos State High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court for violation of extant laws in the course of their judicial duties

    The statement added: “It (NJC) dismissed a total number of 31 petitions, 29 of which it found unmeritorious, and the remaining two written against Hon. Mr. Justice J. T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court and Hon. Mr. Justice O. O. Akeredolu, Acting Chief Judge of Ondo State, were withdrawn at the instance of the petitioners.

    “Al-Sagr National Insurance Company that wrote against Hon. Mr. Justice Tsoho withdrew its petition since the Hon. Judge had delivered the ruling in his case.

    “Chief Raheem A. Badmus who wrote against Hon. Justice Akeredolu also voluntarily withdrew his petition for personal reasons.

    “Council treated the two petitions as withdrawn, since it did not find anything in them sufficiently serious for further consideration as stipulated in Regulation 9 (1) of the Judicial Discipline Regulations.

    “Council considered and found worthy of further investigation, the petition written by Azi A. Phillip on behalf of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Plateau State Chapter, accusing Hon. Justice P. D. Damulak, the immediate past Chief Judge of Plateau State of bias, for failure to make his judgment in suit No. PLD/J/236/16 delivered on 4th November, 2016 available to him till the time he wrote the petition.

    “Council however decided not to constitute an investigative committee to look into the matter, because the Hon. Chief Judge had already retired from service and therefore no longer in the employment of the National Judicial Council.

    “It also considered and dismissed petitions written against two other judicial officers for lack of merit. They are Hon. Justice Mr. L. T. C. Eruba – High Court of Justice, Abia State; andHon. Grand Kadi Abdullahi Waiya – Sharia’h Court of Appeal, Kano State.

    “It also decided to issue two letters of advice to Hon. Mr. Justice M. A. Dada of the Lagos State High Court of Justice and Hon. Mr. Justice Chukwudi Charles Okaa of the Anambra State High Court for violation of extant laws in the course of their judicial duties based on petition written against their Lordships by Dayo Adamolekun, Esq. & Ridwanulah Olanite, Esq. and Reverend F. U. Ekavhiare & Associates respectively.

    “ Council agreed to report Adesina Ogunlana, Esq., to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (L.P.D.C.) for misconduct, for the use of uncouth language in a petition written to the National Judicial Council against Hon. Justice O. O. Atilade, the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State.

    “Council welcomed as good development, a letter from Zamfara State Government approving the recommendation of the National Judicial Council for the compulsory removal of Hon. Mr. Justice Musa Ibrahim Anka from office for allegedly receiving a bribe of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200, 000) from one Zubairu Abdumalik in order to deliver judgement in his favour.

    “The recommendation was made to the Zamfara State Government by Council in 2011.”

     

  • ‘Judges are next to God and must be beyond reproach’

    ‘Judges are next to God and must be beyond reproach’

    John Olusola Baiyeshea (SAN) was called to the Bar 35 years ago. He handled the landmark case involving the sacked 49 University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) lecturers who were reinstated by the Supreme Court after a long legal battle. A cleric, he holds a Masters in Divinity as well as two others – in Law and Philosophy in Law. In this interview with ADEKUNLE JIMOH, Baiyeshea speaks on how to rid the judiciary of corruption, the need to rotate the presidency among the six geo-political zones, and why the anti-graft war must be sustained. He says those who have nothing to hide will not accuse the government of being selective.

    On corruption

    The judiciary in terms of the personnel and intellect ranks among the best in the world. The judgments are good, lucid and a lot of research is put into their work. Their work condition really is very poor because they still write in long hand. There are so many discouraging factors, but these people still find time to do good jobs. Unfortunately, the dark side of it is the issue of corruption and you know corruption in the judiciary affects all. I always tell people that if there is corruption in the judiciary, it is because there is corruption in Nigeria. Corruption is the most flourishing industry in this country, unfortunately. And the corrupt have quite a lot of money to throw around. Apostle Paul told us in the Corinthians that ‘anybody who thinks he is standing should be very careful so that he does not fall.’ It takes the grace of God for judicial officers in this country to resist the evil temptation of corruption. It is not all of them that are corrupt and I want to believe that the percentage of them is small. Unfortunately when we are talking about corruption in the judiciary, there is a tendency for people to generalise. For anybody who has been a victim of corruption in the judiciary, there is nothing you can tell him that he will agree that there is an exception. That is the major negative.

    On curbing corruption in judiciary

    I am just praying and hoping that we will be able to isolate those who are corrupt so that we don’t lump them with those that are genuinely and honestly doing their work in a godly way. Let me tell that you that people who go to corrupt these judges and judicial officers are the people that come back to talk about it. Once you have the opportunity of sitting over the affairs of man, just as God is sitting on the affairs of the whole universe, it is a rare opportunity; you are not to be corrupt. To be corrupt is to be ungodly. It is sadistic and satanic. I just wish that some them who are engaged in it would avoid it.

    Judges changing mindset

    It is by encouraging themselves and believing it is a godly assignment. First and foremost, anybody whose heart is not circumcised to appreciate that he is doing God’s work has the tendency of doing something that is criminal or evil. If you are  true Muslims and true Christian, you have nothing to do with corruption. You will have contentment on whatever comes to you and you will have satisfaction that it is like God sending you on an assignment and you have executed the assignment properly; you have represented God truthfully, honestly, genuinely and soberly, knowing that your reward is with God. But if you are hell-bent on following the worldly affairs and mass acquisition of money that your generations yet unborn cannot finish, then somebody like that should not be in the judiciary. I always say that even though corruption is a horrible thing in the country and ravaging everywhere, judges still have a duty to live above board, because you are carrying out a special assignment. You are almost the closest person to God than any other person. It is God who sits in judgment over the affairs of man. Unless this mindset/attitudinal change of the corrupt is removed from some of these our judicial officers, they will still continue to soil their hands. Judges are even supposed to be extra-ordinary human beings. I wish they can just get to that level and things can get better.

    War against corruption

    I listen to people and I have heard them say that they are going after selected people. They cannot go after you, if you are not corrupt. Nigerians leave substance and begin to talk about things that are senseless. I think we should start from that basic pedestal. If you have no skeleton in your cupboard you have nothing to fear even if you are an opponent. If they pick you and they find nothing against you they will leave you off the hook. But for God sake over 99 percent of them have issues of corruption. So the ongoing exercise of the present government, as far I am concerned, is encouraging. People now know it is no longer business as usual. At least we have a president that we can say of a truth he is not corrupt. It takes somebody like him who has no dirty dealings to help us in this country to deal with these corrupt people. If you live in a glass house you cannot throw stone. The former president could not come out boldly like this. Nigeria is the only country in the whole world where corrupt people are worshipped. The system makes stealing lucrative. People see it as a lucrative business. People are not occupying public offices to render genuine and honest service; they are going there because they feel it will give them opportunity to steal and steal. The ongoing effort is salutary; of course there can be improvement.

    On looting and recession

    Every day we read about huge sums of money stolen; that is why I say that corruption is the industry that is flourishing in Nigeria. I am even thinking that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alone can no longer cope. The work of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC) is not strong enough. It will appear that we need a stronger and better EFCC to deal with the issue of corruption in Nigeria because the industry is getting larger, wider and more terrible. It is mind-boggling, it is sadistic. The recent example we are hearing is that of Deziani who is said to have about $90 billion cash and asset in America alone. We are not even talking about the ones she has in UK. She has about 56 houses and mansions here and there. She has broken the record of becoming probably the most corrupt woman on earth. They have lost compassion. There is nothing like conscience for them. I always tell people that a country that jealously, carefully and prudently manages and guides its economic resources cannot be hit by recession adversely just like we have been hit by the malaise.

    On Osinbajo, Magu

    Fortunately, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo believes in the course. Fortunately, too, the EFCC Acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu, whom some people are castigating, is so committed to this course. I am just advising that the cases of corruption be heard faster. Let the people who are corrupt face judgment and the consequences of corruption more quickly. A situation in which corruption cases last for between 10 and 12 years is a mockery of our judicial and legal system. This is a country where the citizens are aiding and abetting corruption. These thieves will continue to take Nigeria for a ride unless something radical happens that will help us revamp, revive and reactivate our judicial and legal system in order to catch and deal with the thieves immediately. Nigeria is the only country in the world where these aberrations happen. I don’t know where we got our own brand of human rights from. Somebody will steal the country blind and still claims his fundamental human rights should be protected.

    Clamour for restructuring

    All the arguments about restructuring, when I discuss them with my friends, I tell them that as far as I am concerned, what we need in this country is removal of corruption from our system and everybody will be happy. The clamour for restructuring is because there is economic inequality, which is worse than political inequality. If you don’t have economic empowerment you cannot talk about political empowerment. What we need is good governance. My own alternative to the clamour for restructuring is to have a Constitution that will make the presidential seat rotational among the six geo-political zones in the country. With that each zone, we will have an equal sense of belonging. The issue of who becomes president is the major matter causing the clamour for restructuring. Many people who talk about restructuring do not even know what they are talking about. Many of them are thinking in terms of dismemberment of the country. I don’t think that is what need as a nation.

    On representing UNILORIN 49

    The most outstanding case in my years of practice is the case of 49 University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) 49 teachers that were sacked by the authorities of the university when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was president. They were sacked in 2001 and the lot fell on me to challenge their sack through the hierarchy of courts from the Federal High Court to Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. It was a very difficult, tough and turbulent journey for me and for the teachers. That was a case that not many lawyers wanted to touch because of the sensitivity of it – the government, the environment and, more importantly, the people had no money to pay. For nine going to 10 years they had no salary, but we weathered the storm together with them and by the grace of God, we won at the Federal High Court. But the Appeal Court by a split decision of two to one, overturned the Federal High Court by okaying their sack. But by unanimous decision at the Supreme Court we won and they were ordered to be reinstated and they were reinstated. There are other cases but that is the most outstanding one that people talk about and I thank God for it.

    On winning the case…

    First and foremost, I thank God for making it possible because anybody who knew the socio-political landscape at that time would agree that it was very tough and turbulent. President Obasanjo then swore that the lecturers would never be readmitted into the university. We said, after all, he is not God. It is only God that can pronounce finality when it comes to the affairs of men, nation or country. So, we continued and we were never discouraged. Although it was difficult, we were hopeful somehow and we return all the glory to God. Of course, it has remained in the annals of the history of Nigeria that once upon a time there was such an important case which affected the whole nation. Just as ASUU is on strike now, it was on strike several times over the issue but it was resolved through the judiciary and we thank God for it. I must say that by the grace of God, it increased my profile nationally and internationally. That case is a reference point; even on labour matters people from other countries get in touch with us to get the reference to use the case. There were other watershed cases before it, but this one also came to improve the quality of those former decisions.

    His early days

    I was called in the Nigerian Bar in 1982, meaning that I have done 35 years as lawyer. In our profession we call it post-call experience. After being called to bar in 1982, I did my National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) programme at the Kaduna State House of Assembly and I was at the legislative drafting department. Our head of department was one Mrs. Kujo who later became the Chief Judge of Kaduna State. She retired two years ago. While I was there during youth corps I needed to get myself really engaged and maximise the time and opportunities that came my way. So, I had the opportunity to teach also at the Kaduna Polytechnic in the School of Business and Administrative Studies. I taught company law. The former Governor of Plateau state Joshua Dariye was my student in his final year HND Accounting class in 1983. I was in the Chambers of Bayo Aluko Olokun and Co. I, then, tried to understudy the practical way of doing our work then. Chief Bayo Aluko Olokun really showed us the way to go. He exposed me to the way to go about legal practice. Most of things I got to know, that I also teach people. I got my foundation laid in his chambers and I am grateful to him. Unfortunately, he is dead. He also became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) before he died.

    His pupilage

    After youth corps service between August and October 1983, Chief Bayo Aluko Olokun posted me the then Sokoto State. I was the counsel to the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) in the whole of that state. At that time in Nigeria the dominant political parties during the Shagari era were the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and the NPP. Somehow there were some people who felt aggrieved as members of the NPN just as we have in PDP, so those ones moved from NPN to NPP and they posed a very strong threat to the NPN, which was ruling in Sokoto state. The NPN, then, resorted to oppression, suppression and intimation and many of the NPP’s supporters were put in jail. It was my duty to go to court, file applications and you know I was a new lawyer and I tried my best. I visited many in Sokoto, Gusau prisons and I also went to Brini-Kebbi. I was based actually in Gusau and I was travelling everywhere. When I finished that assignment, I came back to Kwara, my state of origin and joined the state Ministry of Justice as a state counsel. I was there for three years (from 1983 to 1986) when I came out to establish my own law office in Ilorin. I have been here since then. By the grace of God I became a SAN in 2007. I was ordained a reverend in 2015.