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COVER STORY

THEJUDICIARY
IN CRUTCHES J

The Whistle Blowers

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It is common knowledge that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man;
now being messed up by certain unscrupulous elements w ith the acquiescence
of their collaborators in the hallowed institution; It turns out now to be a mere
rope of sand, a useless contraption.
By D AVEY O ZURUM BA

Presidents Dinner of the Chartered

igerian Judiciary has become
Institute of Arbitrators, he said: in
an embattled arm of the
fact, those of us who have passed
tripodal Federal structure. It
may well be said that it is in crutches, through the yoke of being judges, what
we hear outside shatters us, because
prostrate- what shall I say? by allure for
they are not just millionaires as we
filthy lucre.
were told but billionaires.
Riddled with allegations of corruption,
All those who had gone through
it has become a plaything in the hands
election tribunals are millionaires
of unconscionable politicians,
today. I challenge anyone of them to say
influential men in the society, as well as
no so declared the retired General and
some jurists, posing a source of concern
Chairman Transparency
on our democratic march.
International, Ishola
Fears are being expressed that if the
Williams while speaking
Judiciary continues to twaddle in this
on the perversion of the
form; it may not sustain our fledgling
course of Justice at the
democracy; or it may tumble- may God
same occasion.
forbid- like a house of cards.
On that occasion, what
It is common knowledge that Judiciary
looked like selfis the last hope o f the common man;
examination was enacted
now being messed up by certain
at The Chartered
unscrupulous elements with the
Institute of Arbitrators
acquiescence of their collaborators in
and Presentation of
the hallowed institution; it turns out
Certificate and
now to be a mere rope o f sand, a useless
Fellowship Awards in
contraption.
Lagos. It has the
What is more, the ugly situation
semblance of praisecreated by the Salami/Katsina- Alu
singers swinging into a
quarrel would have a telling effect on
symphony after being let
the expected synergy in the three arms
loose in a bazaar. Some
of government- Executive, Legislature,
eminent jurists opened
and Judiciary if the trend continues.
up on the inadequacies of today's
Many years before the
judiciary in relation to election
Salami/Aloysius-Alu tussle blew open a
tribunals, pervasive corruption; how
few weeks ago, the issue of bribery in
judges pervert the course o f justice
the Judiciary has been shoptalk.
through filthy lucre and the cry for
Justice Kayode Eso never missed an
justice.
auspicious occasion at which he would
Retired Justice Kayode Eso has never
have the needed audience to talk to on
relented in his condemnation of his
the stench in the Judiciary. Once, at the

Newsgrain

Magazine

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serving colleagues who are knee-deep

in corruption.
He had once observed that some judges
had made the habit o f writing two
different judgements stuffed in their
breast pockets...to be purchased by the
highest bidder in a suit.
At the aforementioned dinner, the
irrepressible jurist tongue- lashed
election tribunal judges who he said
had enriched themselves through

perversion of justice, turning

billionaires in the bargain.
The Sokoto State Governorship election
tribunal case was the tdnderbox that
ignited the present conflagration in the
judiciary, fuelled by an affidavit
deposed to, by Justice Ayo Salami, now
suspended President of the Court of