Lagos Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, reaffirmed the commitment of the Executive arm of government to upholding the rule of law and advancing judicial reforms in the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu gave this commitment while speaking at the Mosque Prayer to Mark the Commencement of the 2024/2025 New Legal Year, held at the Lagos Central Mosque, Lagos Island.
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, said the state government recognizes the critical role of the judiciary in maintaining justice and order, assuring that it was committed to supporting and strengthening the judiciary in every way possible.
According to him, the Executive arm remains steadfast in its support and will continue to collaborate closely with the judiciary to ensure justice is delivered swiftly and fairly.
“It is our candid view that the judicial arm of government holds a vital responsibility in interpreting the laws, adjudicating civil and criminal matters, and providing mechanisms for alternative dispute resolution,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu, while noting that hard work had sustained the integrity of the legal system, ensuring that the Lagos State Judiciary remains a beacon of hope for our citizens, admonished all arms of government to work hand in hand to ensure that the judiciary remained a pillar of justice and hope for all citizens of Lagos.
Governor Sanwo-Olu further noted that the judiciary had undertaken significant reforms to strengthen the legal system in Lagos, saying that these include the establishment of the Small Claims Court, the Special Offences and Sexual Offences Courts, and the introduction of e-probate services.
Besides, he emphasized that the state judiciary had embarked on construction projects to boost its performance, listing some of the projects to include the Commercial Court in Tapa which is now 90percent complete and would soon provide a specialized venue for handling the growing number of commercial disputes in Lagos State, among others.
According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the ongoing review of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, along with the digitalization of court processes, has also greatly enhanced the efficiency and accessibility of justice through innovations like remote court sittings and e-filing.
In his lecture titled: “Exploring the Roles of the Judiciary in Revitalising Nigeria’s Economy through an Islamic lens,” Sheikh Imran Abdul Majeed Eleha, noted that the judicial career is a divine calling, and a career approved by Allah, paralleling it to the noble role of prophets who served as intermediaries between the people, declaring that based on this, the profession demands utmost fairness, integrity, and dedication.
According to the Sheikh, on the last day, the sun will be brought closer to people thereby causing serious discomfort, saying Allah would command the shadow to be on only those who judged rightly.
The Muslim cleric classified judges into three namely the Righteous judges who render fair and just verdicts; Ignorant judges who make uninformed decisions, and Corrupt judges who intentionally manipulate judgments, either through compromise or external pressure.
He emphasised that only the first group, the righteous judges, would go to heaven, saying that in contrast, the second and third groups, including those who judged ignorantly or under duress, would be condemned.
Sheikh Imran noted that injustice amongst the citizens, such as the usage of an imbalance scale must be avoided, warning that people involved in such would suffer three punishments from Allah, “namely hunger, cost of goods will be unnecessarily high, and bad leaders.”
He opined that the three punishments were the major problems being currently experienced in Nigeria.
Similarly, in his lecture, titled: “Justice as a Catalyst for Economic Recovery and Political Stability in Nigeria,” Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Lawal emphasised that Allah strongly condemned injustice, having ordained it haram (forbidden) among people, and instead commanded justice, fairness, and compassion in all human interactions.
Sheikh Lawal added that delayed justice was also a form of injustice, stating that “all those who aid injustice will be in total darkness on the last day.”
“Government must take care of price control and enforce it across the country. With seamless price control across the nation, the economy will be stable and the issue of immigration to Lagos will reduce,” the cleric said.
Sheikh Lawal stressed that justice must be equitable and not based on religion or tribe, adding that it must be delivered without fear and favour.
The Muslim cleric, therefore, urged all other stakeholders involved in the litigation process, including the police, loggers, and those who filed the documents to be fair as, according to him, the judge only makes his/her judgment on facts presented on the case files, even as he prayed for the spirit of discernment, Allah’s guidance for the judges in the course of their duties.
In his vote of thanks, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, promised that all admonitions would be taken to heart, assuring that the judiciary would continue to do its best in upholding justice in the state.
Justice Alogba expressed his appreciation to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Deputy Governor, Dr Hazmat as well as other arms of government and commended them for their support for the judiciary, just as he offered prayers for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed.
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