Magnus Eze, Enugu
Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi has accused politicians of always looking for ways of compromising the judiciary.
Obi who said he was a beneficiary of fair judgment, referring to his governorship battles in Anambra state, described the Nigerian judiciary as one of the best in the world, regardless of all reservations about some bad eggs in the system.
He added that it is the least corrupt among the three arms of Government, stating “In fact, it is politicians that try so hard, now and then, to suborn them”.
Speaking at the first year memorial lecture and book presentation in honor of late Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, at the State High Court Complex, Enugu on Friday evening, he commended the use of the forum for soul-searching by principal members of the Bar and the Bench.
He said that the judiciary, as could be seen from all the opinions expressed, remained not just the last hope for the common man, but also the salvation of countries weighted down by all manner of injustices.
He charged the judiciary to remain steadfast on the path of truth and rectitude as the late Justice Umezulike represented.
Enugu State Chief Judge, Justice Priscilla Emehelu in her address reiterated the recent call for the financial autonomy of the judiciary by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed.
Noting that it was the bedrock of judicial independence, the Chief Judge also asked for improvement on the welfare package of judicial officers.
In the guest lecture, on “The overriding role of the judiciary in contemporary democracy,” delivered by Prof. Emeka Chianu, former Dean of Law, University of Benin, he harped that the judiciary was very critical to the growth and sustenance of Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
Discussing the lecture, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, condemned the recent siege on the judiciary and the attendant media trial, pointing out that all these instill fears in them. He also stated that using technicalities to dismiss genuine electoral matters was a big threat to a viable democracy.
On his part, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court opined that Governments can be democratic in formation and autocratic in character.
He stated that the court must be critical in curtailing autocracy but regretted that it lacked that power of cohesion because it neither controls the police or army.