Lawyers Hail Sack Of Corrupt, Incompetent Judges

L-R: 2nd Deputy President, Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Mrs Farida Dankaka, Director of Administration, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Christiana Afabor and Head of Communication and Public Affairs, Mr Hadi Birchi, during the NDIC Day at the on-going 35 Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna last Thursday

Some prominent lawyers in Lagos yesterday urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) not to relent in its effort to sanitise the nation’s judiciary.
The lawyers spoke in interviews with newsmen while reacting to the recent sacking of two judges by the council.
The affected judges, Justices Gladys Olotu of the Federal High Court and Ufot Inyang of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, were sacked on February 26 for “gross misconduct.”
Our correspondent reports that one of the reasons given for Olotu’s sack was that she failed to deliver judgment in a suit 18 months after final addresses by counsel in the suit.
The NJC said it was contrary to the Constitutional provisions which states that judgment should be delivered within 90 days.
Inyang was sacked for including in his judgment, references to the garnishee proceedings, which came after a judgment had been delivered on December 20, 2011.
He was also accused of continuing with the garnishee proceedings, despite an application for a stay of execution of the said judgment.
NAN recalls that the NJC had on February 20, 2013, sacked Justices Charles Archibong of the Federal High Court and Thomas Naron of the Plateau State High Court, for similar offences.
The council had also on April 26, 2013 suspended Justice Abubakar Talba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court for one year.
Talba was handed the suspension for failing to exercise his discretion judicially and judiciously in a matter involving John Yusufu, a Director of Pensions, convicted for theft.
Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Mr Onyekachi Ubani, commended the NJC for the action, saying it would put judges on their toes.
He said: “If you look at the dismissal of the two judges, you will find out that they were very guilty of the offences they were alleged to have committed.
“One of them even forgot that she had a ruling to deliver which is quite strange because judges are supposed to be effective and efficient.”
Also speaking, Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a rights advocacy group, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, said lazy judges had no business being on the bench.
“For failing to deliver judgment 18 months after parties have adopted their final written addresses, that judge does not deserve to continue to be on the bench”, Mumuni said.
However, a human rights lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, advised the NJC to be careful over sacking of judges.