Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter
Onnoghen yesterday articulated different opinions on corruption in the
judiciary.
Sagay alleges graft actively
thriving in government agencies
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo
and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen yesterday
articulated different opinions on corruption in the judiciary.
They spoke at the ‘National
Dialogue on Corruption’ organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee
Against Corruption (PACAC), which held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Osinbajo blamed corruption on the
way judges are appointed, arguing that there has been no well-structured
system. He said the system must ensure that the recruitment process for judges,
lawyers, clerks and other judicial workers is transparent and not on a
man-knows-man basis.
“Aside from the Department of State Services (DSS) investigation,
there should be particular test and proper investigation of candidates to be
appointed as judges. In some of the systems that we inherited, the United
Kingdom, for instance, there is a process of almost 17 different tests before
you can become a judge of the high court.
According to the acting president, “we can tackle corruption if we
adopt some of those best practices, including the general welfare and remuneration of
judicial officers. Any judge accused of any infraction must be investigated and
prosecuted through the National Judicial Council (NJC) to avoid political
influence.”
Onnoghen said: “The judiciary is battered left, right and centre.
I will like us to realize that corruption thrives (or any other form of
injustice) in a culture of impunity. Wherever you have a culture of
impunity, you will have corruption. Because people believe I must have this. It
must be this or nothing. It must be me and me alone.
“So, they throw away the constitutional provisions that have been
drafted to guide our daily activities, inter-governmental, inter-personal; they
throw away the principles of rule of law. But the judiciary holds these
principles in care because that is the only way by which you can ensure an
orderly society and ensure the good and maintenance of democracy and justice
for us.
According to Onnoghen, “if we are to fight corruption then you
fight the culture of impunity which is an attitudinal phenomenon, adhering
strictly to the constitutional provision of the rule of law.”
Chairman of the PACAC, Professor Itse Sagay said the Nigeria
Customs Service (NCS) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are two
agencies that seem not to be aware of the anti-corruption drive of the present
administration.
Sagay said in these agencies, the menace has become so deeply
engrained in the system, that the people are not longer afraid of the
consequences.
Hi. I’m Sana ur Rehman Designer of This Blog. I’m CEO/Founder of Pak Zest. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.
0 comments:
Post a Comment