(By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi)
As judges arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) penultimate wake are arraigned in court on corruption, false assets declaration charges, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Jiti Ogunye and Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) have said graft pervades the Judiciary and the Presidency.
Speaking on StandPoint, a political programme on Television Continental (TVC), Adebanjo traced the problem of the Judiciary to the military era when judges were given luxury vehicles, while Ogunye contended that the Department of State Security (DSS) acted within its mandate in arresting the judges on alleged corruption charges.
Adebanjo also reiterated that cash-for-justice had long been the mainstay in the Judiciary, while Ogunye said the National Judicial Council (NJC) does not have the power to prosecute corrupt judges.
“From day one, I have said there are so many good judges in Nigeria and there are so many good lawyers in Nigeria. It is only a small clique that are corrupt and are corrupting the entire system,” Adebanjo said.
“We’ve had decent people in our Judiciary, but the Nigerian Judiciary started going to the dogs particularly since the coming into political office of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, when he bought (Mercedes) Benz to give to judges, and late Chief Gani Fawehinmi went to challenge that in court. That was when we started seeing judges paying lip-service to their oath of office.
“I never imagined this would happen in my life. As soon as they started having judges elected into Election Petition Tribunals, I saw the worst thing to have happened to Nigeria.
“On interlocutory injunctions, judges will take money from right, left and centre and at the end of the day, they will give it to the highest bidder.”
On his part, Ogunye said since the NJC is not a law-enforcement authority, the DSS stepped in, having acted on several petitions against some of the arrested judges.
“The NJC is not a court. It is not a law-enforcement authority charged with the responsibility of investigating crimes. So, if crimes committed by judges should not be investigated (by the DSS) because they are dubious, you strike at the heart of the principle of the rule of law which is equality of all before the law and that is not even supported by the law.
“Because of the intelligence required and because of the secretive nature of that operation, carried out by a secret service; because we are talking here about the third arm of government, people forget that the Judiciary is not just the Judiciary. The Judiciary is also an arm of government.”
Igho Akinride, of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) believes “corruption is everywhere, including the Presidency.”
Revengeful system of the Executive Arm of Federal Government, chaired by President Buhari, is the highest barbaric corruption of dehumanization and presidency clear abuse of power and social justice in NIGERIA!
Detectorship system of administration in the Democratic country as NIGERIA is deadly corruption, being clearly promoted by Buhari’s administration since 29th May 2015 till date!
Using itimidating strategies by the President Buhari’s administration against other Arms of Federal Government is a criminality that is as worst as Boko-Haran deadly activities in NIGERIA!
“Live and let live” was an old story in NIGERIA of today.
Rather, political and religious intimidations are the order of the day!
Due legal process is a dead fashion to President Buhari’s administration in today’s NIGERIA.
His actions-policies is either you side him unquestionably, and be totally exonerated as uncorrupt Nigerians, or be in any opposition party, and be considered the worst corrupt-looters of NIGERIA Public Treasury, in his unforgivable black book of record.
The Buhari of 1984 and of 29th May 2015 till date, is unforgivable personality, either in life or in death, he would still seek for vengeance, either with the use of Military powers or with the use of unconstitutional powers. Go and check record!
Revengeful system of the Executive Arm of Federal Government, chaired by President Buhari, is the highest barbaric corruption of dehumanization and presidency clear abuse of power and social constitutional justice in NIGERIA!
Detectorship system of administration in the Democratic country as NIGERIA is obviously, a deadly corruption, being clearly promoted by Buhari’s administration since 29th May 2015 till date!
Using intimidating policies and strategies by the President Buhari’s administration against other Arms of Federal Government and members of political opposition party, is a criminality that is more deadly and as worst as Boko-Haran deadly activities in NIGERIA!
The clear indication of backwardness is obvious within the current administration in NIGERIA Government!
Buhari’s administration of fight against corruption, is a revengeful mission against his perceived political enemies, which he subtly anchored as a fight against corruption in NIGERIA!
The real fight against corruption should rather begin with him.
Up till now, he has not told Nigerians what really happened with the about, over 32 million dollars/Naira that missed under him as the Chairman of the petroleum, under the Abacha’s military Governance.
Such claimed amount of money that missed uncounted for, under his very nose, is it not part of NIGERIA looted Treasury?
Like someone said at Chanel Television interview last night, this administration is promoting corruption with guise of fighting against corruption in NIGERIA!
In the general opinion of well-meaning Nigerians, that is undiluted clear truth about Buhari’s administration in today’s NIGERIA!