By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – PROMINENT journalist, activist and lawyer, Richard Akinnola, on Friday expressed concern about the current state of the judiciary in Nigeria and said that it was more independent and fearless under the military era than under the democratic dispensation.
He said that even though there are a number of judges who are hardworking and independent-minded, a few of them who have been politically compromised seem to be the face of the current judiciary.
Akinnola stated this shortly after he participated in the Health of Mother Health Foundation, HOMEF,’s Book Day which involved book reading and sharing of knowledge for the protection of the environment and protection of human rights.
He said many Nigerians have lost confidence in the current judiciary because of those of them who have been exposed politically.
According to him, “When there is a perception that a public officer seems to have control over the judiciary, and cases are assigned in a particular judicial division in Abuja to a certain number of judges, when we have about 12 judges, and when you assign such sensitive cases to just about 3 or 4 such judges, it engenders suspicion.
“For example, why should one particular judge be assigned with 4 major cases by DSS? It doesn’t make any sense. It couldn’t have been by happenstance. So even when the judge rules by fact and by law in favour of the government, people will say, what do we expect? So it’s a matter of perception, which has to change.
He said: “I tried to make some comparison between the judiciary under the military and the judiciary under the current dispensation, unfortunately, I came to the painful conclusion that the judiciary under the military seems to be much more independent and fearless than what we have currently, which is most unfortunate. And you see, perception is critical.
“Justice is rooted in public confidence. And when you have an institution in which the public has that kind of impression that certain judicial decisions are politically motivated, it brings the whole institution to ridicule. Don’t get me wrong, we have quite a number of fantastic judges on the bench. Independent-minded, brilliant. But unfortunately, the few ones who are politically compromised seem to be the face of the current judiciary.
He urged the “judiciary to reinvent itself and assert its independence, fearlessness and instill public confidence.”
On his part the Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, said the group wanted all to be involved in knowledge sharing for the protection of the environment for the protection of human rights.
He also dispelled the insinuation that Africans do not read
