The Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Thursday described the Judiciary as the “temple of justice” and the bulwark of Nigeria’s democracy.
Yusuf Maman Dantalle said the third arm of government is the stabilizing force and last hope of all aggrieved persons against opponents’ inclination, penchant and propensity for injustice. The court he said expects its ministers to be upright, with men and women of integrity dispensing justice fairly.
He added that it has become unfortunate there seems to be anarchy and rebellion, with conflicting courts orders/judgements by courts of coordinate jurisdiction, recently witnessed in Rivers and Kano States, as well as the growing perceptions of miscarriage of justice by some judgements delivered by Election Petition Tribunals (EPT) and appeal courts.
“These are judgements that do not reflect the mandates of the people and has led to mass actions in some States”, Dantalle said at the first IPAC Roundtable, with theme The Role of the Judiciary In Nigeria’s Democratic Sustainability, held in Abuja, the country’s capital.
He also said the consequence of this development (conflicting judgements is the public lack of confidence in the administration of justice in the country and it calls for urgent judicial reforms to save the judiciary and restore its integrity and honour as the last hope of aggrieved persons.
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa (SAN), while speaking out “to the practical realities of our situation”, said globally, historical jurisprudence has shown that members of the legal profession, who are the producers of the judiciaries in their respective countries, play significant roles through the judicial institutions for good governance and accountability.
While revealing that Lawyers are social engineers, he said members of the legal profession have played significant roles in the growth and developments of the most developed nations.
“When I speak of members of the Legal Profession, I mean the Bar and the Bench. The legal profession is the only one that has exclusive right to appoint legal practitioners as judicial officers that head the judicial arm of the Government. These legal practitioners are lawyers with defined code of conduct. The code of conduct of these legal practitioners is rooted in set standards of conduct that should not admit of partiality in judicial adjudications, Okutepa said.
“These give the legal profession and or the judiciary the opportunities and privileges to shape and or retard democracy and democratic growth and development in Nigeria”, he added.
Senator Shehu Sani said being an activist and a member of the civil society, he has observed that “our thinking fundamentally differs from politicians, having had experiences of both sides.
He said there’s no ungoverned space in politics, as every political space is controlled by a politician, including hideouts of bandits.
Senator Sani stated that for there to be a perfect judiciary, there must be a perfect system and country for it to work.
“Leaders come and go but, institutions remain. If our institutions are strong, they form the basis of the perfect system we are seeking for, including the judiciary”, he posited.
Ijeoma Nwafor, Nigeria’s Country’s Representative to The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law, said the root cause of democratic failure in the country is the refusal of elected or appointed office holders inept to understand that they are still Nigerians who must be held accountable, after being brought into offices.
“If you’re a corrupt Nigerian and you made a judge, you will be a corrupt judge. If you are a corrupt Nigerian and you become a SAN, you will become a corrupt SAN. The problem is a Nigerian problem. It starts from the home it starts from the communities. We don’t even hold each other accountable any longer”, she said.
Ene Obi, former Director, Action Aid said the quality of citizenship which is a significant trait for every Nigerian, must be respected.
She added that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is one of the reasons the judiciary has been brutalized, asking “what has the courts got to do with the declaration of results? No one is holding INEC responsible for the money that was voted for them to conduct and declare the elections”, she said.
The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) is the umbrella body of all registered and recognized political parties in Nigeria and a critical stakeholder in the national democratic process. The body is set up in recognition of the role of political parties in consolidating and deepening democracy as well as ensuring a conducive environment for successful elections, political stability, enduring democracy, good governance and well-being of Nigerians. IPAC is structured at National, State and Local Government Areas, in order to ensure that all levels and tiers of government are carried along in the electoral and democratic process.
Other dignitaries at the session include Senator Shehu Sani – former Senator, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Dr. I.B Gashinbaki – Pioneer President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria; Barr Falalu Bello – National Chairman, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Dr. Sam Amadi – Abuja School of Social and Political Thought and Former Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), F.R.A. Onoja SAN – Legal Practitioner and Amaechi Aniekwe of the African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower.