The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, on Monday, opened the 2017 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ado Ekiti Branch and suggested measures that could help the Nigerian Judiciary out of the throes of distrust due to allegations of corruption.
Justice Daramola, who spoke on the topic, “Corruption: Origin, Effect and Mechanism for Curtailment”, noted that allegations of corruption, especially that which bordered on inducements of judges by litigants, was worrisome and was dangerous to the fight against corruption.
Daramola said though there could be cases of persecution against members of the bench and bar, members of the legal profession, in their part, must be above board as ministers in the temple of justice.
The Ekiti CJ said much as he believed that the legal profession should not be rubbished, people working in the temple of justice must shun any form of inducement as well.
He said: “In the last one year, the legal profession has been the butt of ridicule and jokes due mainly to exposure of involvement of judges and lawyers in corruption cases that were primarily geared to obstruct and pervert justice.”
“Lawyers like Mafia Bookies and shacks, have become bagmen who now ferry bribes to judges. It is almost an impossibility for litigants to bribe judges without active involvement of lawyers.”
“The bar and bench have become the focus of state agencies empowered by law to wage war against corruption. There have been insinuations in certain quarters on either ground or misguided belief that the executive is deliberately waging war against the judiciary.”
“I rather don’t believe that is the issue. As much as I believe there is no perfect institution in the world, for credibility sake, the judges, like Caesar’s wife, must nevertheless be above board.”
“It is high time we judicial officers understand that we cannot compete with politicians in wrongdoings, because that may put such officer to a point of no return, as politicians who committed similar offence may go to jail and come back to be elected or appointed.”
“It is the corrupt activities of some few individuals among us that have put a stigma on the whole judiciary. It will take many years for us to clear the mess. Most certainly, Nigeria’s judicial system needs a thorough reappraisal, it is after this that all of us can look ourselves in the face and smile and also feel proud of the profession again.”
Chairman of the branch, Gbenga Adaramola, in his speech denied that lawyers were not committed to fighting corruption, saying as an example that the NBA recently disrobed 37 lawyers for corrupt practices.
Adaramola lauded the National Judicial Council (NJC) for recalling recently-suspended judges, saying “They did that because the Federal Government was slow in their prosecution and justice delayed is justice denied. They can’t be suspended perpetually when there is no diligent prosecution.”
He said the NBA as a body was “ready to protect the rights of every Nigerian by offering free legal services to poor Nigerians,” saying this was “the best way to give back to the society.”
According to him, the Citizens’ Rights Department of the NBA and the Legal Aide Council in the state’s Ministry of Justice, had done well in ensuring that the rights of the lowly rated Nigerians were not abridged by anybody.
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