All eyes on you, Sanwo-Olu tells 14 newly appointed judges

Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday swore-in 14 High Court judges, saying that all eyes are on them as they would have to justify their new position.

Of the 14 judges who took oath, nine were females, bringing the total number of judges in the state to 70.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who spoke after the swearing ceremony, described the event as “building on a tradition of excellence which will increase our capacity to dispense justice, while also helping to raise a new generation of talents who will go on to do exploits in the highest courts of the land.”

The governor urged the newly swore-in judges to not only be efficient and fair, but be seen to be so, assuring them that the government remained committed to ‘fully supporting the judiciary to achieve its purpose and also ensure judges are comfortable enough to perform optimally.”

Sanwo-Olu, while noting that all eyes would be on them to dispense justice speedily, yet fairly and impartially, described the judicial arm as an essential element for the proper and effective functioning of any democratic society, adding: “Without the honest interpretation and application of the laws of the land, society would be consigned to an existence of chaos and confusion.”

“The judicial arm of government is an essential element for the proper and effective functioning of any democratic society. Without the honest interpretation and application of the laws of the land, society would be consigned to an existence of chaos and confusion.

“All eyes will be on you to dispense justice speedily, yet fairly and impartially. You will be expected to live and act above board in all circumstances. 

“In your hands lies great power: the power to punish wrongdoers and free the innocent, the power to send a strong message to society about the primacy of the rule of law, and to contribute to the growing body of jurisprudence in the country. 

“This power must be wielded with the utmost sense of care and responsibility. You must not only be efficient and fair, but you must also be seen to be efficient and fair by all,” the governor stated.

Speaking further, Governor Sanwo-Olu expressed his administration’s commitment to supporting the judiciary to fully discharge its constitutional functions and responsibilities, disclosing that towards that end, it had now commenced the full digitization of our courts’ system in Lagos State.

According to him, the first phase, comprising 10 courtrooms, is nearing completion, saying that the digitization would help speed up court processes, enable the easy documentation and publication of accurate court transcripts, among others.

“On our part, we remain committed to supporting the judiciary to fully discharge its constitutional functions and responsibilities. We are greatly fortunate to be inheritors of a great tradition of judicial reform and excellence in Lagos State.

“We have now commenced the full digitization of our courts’ system in Lagos State. The first phase, comprising 10 courtrooms, is nearing completion. This digitization will help speed up court processes, enable the easy documentation and publication of accurate court transcripts, and also provide high-speed internet access for the use of judges and other judicial personnel,” he said.

The State Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, in his own remark, said that the swearing-in  of the 14 judges made the total number to be 70 to be sworn in from 2019 till present date. 

He hailed Governor Sanwo-Olu for not interfering in the appointment process and, therefore, making the appointment easier.

Justice Alogba also hailed the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) for trusting the Lagos judiciary enough to approve more judges more than requested for, describing the feat as first in the history of the country.

The chief judge, who described the Lagos judiciary as the bench of excellence in Nigeria, welcomed the new judges to the “family of discipline and integrity,” admonishing them not to disappoint.

The judges who took oath are: Justices Olubusola Okunuga, Adenrera Adeyemi, Olufolake Oshin, Oluwatoyin Odusanya, Olumuyiwa Martins, Ariyike Ipaye- Nwachukwu and Babatunde Kalaro (m).

Others are: Justices Omolade Awope, Akinkunmi Idowu (m), Olalekan Oresanya (m), Mujibat Oshodi, Ismail Ijelu (m), Mosunmola Balogun and Mathias Dawodu (m).

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