Bayelsa: Don Chides Party Leaders For Criticising S’Court Judgement

A university don, Richard Nwokocha has said political leaders and government officials who criticise the judgment of the Supreme Courtare simply reflecting their commitment to governance.
Nwokocha, who is an Associate Professor of Public Law at the Rivers State University (RSU) stated this during a live Radio programme in Port Harcourt monitored by The Tide.
Nwokocha was reacting to the Supreme Court judgement which sacked the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his running mate and declared their opponents, the candidates of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) winners of the recent governorship poll in Bayelsa State.
He stated, “I think the situation we are finding among our officials is a clear reflection of the poverty of our commitment to governance. It is a bit very worrisome to hear when the highest court in the land has given a judgment to hear public office holders criticising and condemning those decisions in the manner in which they do here.
“It is alright to hear citizens who do not understand the details and the intricacies of the justice system. It is alright for such citizens to vent their anger. But not public officials, not party leaders, not government officials. It is a reflection of the poverty of our commitment to the ideas of governance in this country.”
Asked if anything can be done to change that situation, Prof. Nwokocha said, “Perhaps it is a question of orientation. Maybe government should be embarrassed about it government can take steps to enlighten both government officials and institutions in the public sector on these matters. Even if it is the High Court that gives a judgement that we are not satisfied with, we should say we are not satisfied with the judgement.
“We shall approach the appellate Court to test the waters and see that that Court was right in what it said or to confirm that we are right in the hunch we have about the legitimacy of the propriety of that judgment.

Dennis Naku