Buhari’s nostalgic farewell to judiciary

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In what could pass for a redeeming move, President Muhammadu Buhari in his final budgetary propositions, forked out what appears a princely sum of N150 billion to the Nigerian Judiciary for 2023 spending. If carried by the National Assembly, it would be the biggest jump for the arm of government in financial accessibility since the current administration came onboard in 2015. To get here, Mr. President certainly broke ranks with his AGF, Abubakar Malami SAN, on his no-probe, no-increase wish, which he opportunistically waxed in the ears of the President from time to time. This cheering development confirms Yoruba’s saying that whoever did wickedly because he was so advised, had wickedness already in him.

In fairness to the President, this is the third time he would be increasing Judiciary’s budget in the life of his administration. The challenge is that the anti-justice sector image he cast for himself, from his first day in office, has overshadowed what could count as positives for him in the advancement of the sector in the last seven years.

The President also chose to begin his relational with the Judiciary on the wrong footing, obviously using state power, to settle a personal score. While the administration of Goodluck Jonathan handed a N73 billion Judiciary budget to him mid 2015, amid an economy that was already cracking, the retired General chose to shave off N3 billion from it in his first full budget of 2016, possibly as a way of telling the Judiciary, you ain’t got a friend here. Then he ordered the infamous raid.

Nigerians however, have the First Lady, Aisha, to thank for a belated peep she gave into the person of the President, hidden from the generality of Nigerians, and the kind of medical information that should have been known, before electing him. But it is still good we are getting to know. Now that she had made it known that the General has a challenge dealing with disappointment, couched in medical parlance as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), his usual thirst for revenge is now understandable. According to researchers, revenge fantasies are common, though not specific to PTSD sufferers. After the Supreme Court refused, thrice, to award him, elections he couldn’t have won with sectional bloc votes, the wife said the then candidate Buhari badly needed a physio and she became his emergency therapist. Maybe Nigerians wouldn’t have elected him in 2015 if this medical history was known ahead of time, but politics has always been hush-hush in Nigeria and the money that goes into it, hush money. And the practitioners? No, it isn’t going to be fair, tagging all as Hushpuppies Some are decent.

I believe time and the reality of the ephemerality of power, must have healed Mr. President. He may also have possibly realized that exacting revenge on old enemies and nemeses like Sambo Dasuki, doesn’t really worth it. Vengeance is mine and I will repay, says God in Romans 12:19. The President should leave the rest of his battles, to the Almighty, who can humble mighty men.

In about seven months from now, the power that he sought energetically for 13 years, from 2002 to 2015 before he eventually landed it, and for which hundreds of souls were murdered in cold blood by his supporters, will expire and the prefix of ex-president would begin to appear before his name, possibly without the excellency affixation. Solomon was so apt, vanity upon vanity.

Sadly, those running around to replace him, won’t learn anything from him. Some are ready to do just about anything to be president for an hour, then, die. The desperation of man, to grab at the nothingness that defines existence not dedicated to the cause of heaven and good of humanity, is akin to madness and that timeless warning says those who gods will destroy, they first make mad.

After the very rough year 2016 between the President and Judiciary, things got a bit better with their financial relational. The President added N30 billion, to raise the 2017 package to N100 billion. Cynics believed he did, because of the blowback of the raid and his ramrod opposition to a Southern Christian in Justice Walter Onnoghen, becoming the Chief Justice. But even with Onnoghen in the saddle, the President topped the 2018 allocation with another N10 billion, bringing the budget to N110 billion. Then, from 2019, he froze the envelope, adamantly staying on N110 billion for three years running, 2019, 2020 and 2021, even with his friend, Justice Tanko Muhammad in power as CJN and the economy, obviously derelict. All the noise over the 2022 budget, got just a N10 billion raise, though it is doubtful if the entire N120 billion was eventually released.

Then, came the Supreme Court hurricane that consumed his friend, over allowances and the reality came closer home that the sector needed not only a booster, but like the education and health sectors, among other non-revenue generating public institutions, is going to require consistent and constant review of its financials, to be functioning and functional.

Thankfully, in his final appropriation act as president, he has decided to play the listening leader, despite his obvious misgivings about the Judiciary, many unfounded, and a couple, not without basis.

The increase may appear long overdue, but better late than never, they say. To the President’s credit too, there are now three increases under him, in eight years and he obviously didn’t do this because of the funding of election tribunals next year. In 2019, there was a general election and he didn’t budge.

In the real sense of it, Mr. President has completed his assignment. He is entering into the lame duck phase in another four months when a successor, hopefully, would have been elected. All attention would now be on the new man, if it isn’t already. Judiciary stakeholders can’t and should not be held down by the actions or inactions of the President, but useful lessons should and must be learnt from the extraordinary relationship with the Buhari presidency. Arising from how he treated the Judiciary at critical and crucial junctions, especially on the issue of judicial independence and funding, the current leadership, must use the present, to shape and reshape the future. It is going to be a fallacy, believing that the incumbent or his AGF, is the worst the sector would ever encounter. Some civilians could be more autocratic than the retired General and while his angst was just about personal denial, anyone in Aso Rock, pursuing a class objective, could be worse, in getting the system, to toe a particular, selfish line. The message to the Judiciary is, Be Prepared, like The Boy Scouts.

If the N40 billion increase sounds like a win, for advocates of better funding of the Judiciary, then those who made it happen, must be acknowledged, starting with the President, even if he is a late covert. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola deserves kudos for his tenacity and inclusive leadership. Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the chairman of the Body of Benchers, also deserves applause for his trouble-shooting expeditions. Finally, one quiet fellow in NJC, who has been crusading for years, to have this moment, Ahmed Gambo Saleh, is the real hero of the struggle. He has been bruised, abused and demonized in the course of this years-long struggle, but undeterred. He should take a bow.

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