EX-NBA President Faults Keyamo On Supreme Court Comments

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief O.C.J Okocha, has faulted comments credited to a minister designate, Festus Keyamo that the Supreme Court should be unbundled to pave the way for speedy dispensation of justice, saying it is not workable at the moment.
Recall that Keyamo, SAN, had during his screening at the Senate called for the unbundling of the Supreme Court to fast track the dispensation of justice.
But in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt, O.C.J Okocha said that the apex court is already too large compared with what is obtainable in other countries.
The former NBA president explained that the said structure of the Supreme Court cannot be tampered with until there is a constitutional amendment.
According to Okocha, “I don’t know what Festus Keyamo, SAN, means by unbundling the Supreme Court. Because you see the only way you can tamper with the constitution of the court as it is now is by constitutional amendment.
“And that (constitutional amendment) cannot be done by the office of the Attorney General. Every constitutional amendment must be made by the National Assembly. So, it remains to be seen how his (Keyamo’s) proposal is workable.”
The legal luminary also explained that following the setting up of the Court of Appeal Divisions in parts of the country, the apex court could no longer move from place to place as was the case previously.
He however, agreed with Keyamo that limiting cases that can go to the highest court in the land (Supreme Court) will fast track dispensation of justice.
“I agree with Festus Keyamo that not every case needs to go to the Supreme Court. So you make it clear in the constitutional amendments the kind of appeals that should go to the Supreme Court.
“That way you will reduce the workload of the current courts, if that is what he (Keyamo) has in mind by saying I will unbundle the Supreme Court to make dispensation of justice speedier and more efficient. These are my views on that,” Okocha said.

Dennis Naku