FG, Threat To Rule Of Law – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike says clampdown on judges by Federal Government is aimed at weakening the justice delivery system to lay the grounds for wholesome politicisation of the justice administration sector in the country.
He stated that the systematic intimidation of the judiciary by the present administration at the centre has nothing to do with its dubious and much-discredited fight against corruption.
Wike said this during a Special Court Session marking the opening of the 2017/2018 Legal Year in Port Harcourt, and accused the Federal Government of being guilty of impunity, threat to rule of law and partial delivery of justice.
“The danger in the incremental politicisation of the judiciary has started manifesting in the poor quality of justice from the election tribunals where judges are appointed and directed to execute pre-determined results, and also in the quality of the Court of Appeal, where seniority, proven competence and integrity, are blatantly passed over for partisan affiliations in the appointment or elevation of judges to that court.
“When all is said and done, let us not forget that Nigeria is still a nation of laws, and not strong men”, he said.
According to him, while the Federal Government is guilty of impunity, the great threats to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are the judges who lack the courage to defend the collective rights to an impartial judiciary system or compromise their oaths in order to remain in office.
He noted that the present Federal Government operates in denial of the fact that the judiciary was a separate arm of government, which must be respected, protected and preserved for sustainable development of the country.
The governor said that since 2015, the nation has not seen any single initiative from the Federal Government to either reform or correct real or perceived inefficiencies in the nation’s judicial system.
The governor said: “We continue to witness an insidious erosion of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary through a combination of vile threats, unwarranted interferences and opportunistic pressures on judges in a manner and scale never seen before in the political history of this country.
“Indeed, judges appear to have been intimidated to the point where some now find it very uncomfortable to attend even official state functions with governors for fear of being blacklisted thereafter and eventually punished”, Wike said.
Commenting on the achievements of his administration in the justice sector, Wike said his government has built new courts and renovated existing ones.
He said: “Just two months ago, we flagged-off the residential housing scheme for judicial officers, including those serving at the federal level so that our judges can have the peace of mind to do their work in their own comfortable homes for life.
“Today, I am happy to announce that we have equally designed a similar housing scheme for magistrates, which construction, we shall flag off in a couple of weeks”, the governor added.

Chris Oluoh