CJN advises Appeal Court Justices on self-conduct auditing

By Abiodun OBA

Justices of the Court of Appeal have been advised to always hold their heads high by auditing their conduct regularly in order not to fall on the wrong side of the law.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who gave the advice on Wednesday in Abuja while swearing in nine new Justices appointed to the Court of Appeal Bench, warned them against receiving juicy and irresistible gifts often intended to dent their reputation and integrity.

He said that gifts and wealth that are not worked for, which are, by extension, undeserving, are always destructive and calamitous.

The CJN therefore, charged the Appeal Court Justices to conduct their affairs within the ambit of the law and the oath of office administered on them.

“You must redouble your effort and dialogue properly with your conscience in order not to fall out of the grace of the Almighty God and the Nigerian people who are curiously looking up to you. It takes nothing to join the crowd, but it takes a lot to stand alone with good conscience”, he said.

The CJN noted that several novel crimes are being committed in the country that now make litigations go on a steady rise, adding also that, political cases, especially, are taking a monumental toll on the courts’ dockets.

According to the CJN, “Indeed, the times we are in are not pleasant, to say the least. No court in the land is spared of this. We are constantly on our toes, and the dockets are ever rising in response to the challenges of the time.

“This underscores the undisputed fact that Nigeria continuously ranks among the most litigious countries in the world. I strongly believe it is high time we began to imbibe the culture of less litigation and more of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms so that our courts can be freed of unnecessary burden and depletion of both human and material resources”, he added.

He charged the Justices to fasten their belt and roll up their sleeves to face the challenges head-on, saying, “You must redouble your pace to catch up with the expectations of the litigants. As judicial officers, you have a divine mandate on earth that you must discharge with unveiled honesty and sincerity.

“You must give good account of yourselves to justify your elevation to the Court of Appeal so that you can subsequently earn an elevation to the Supreme Court to further actualize your dreams”, Justice Ariwoola told the Justices.

The newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal are, Hannatu Azumi Laja-Balogun from Kaduna State, Binta Fatima Zubairu from Kaduna State, Peter Chudi Obiora from Anambra State, Okon Efreti Abang from Akwa Ibom State, Asma’u Musa Mainoma from Federal Capital Territory, Lateef Adebayo Ganiyu from Oyo State, Jane Esienanwan Iyang from Cross River State, Hadiza Rabiu Shagari from Sokoto State, and Paul Ahmed Bassi from Borno State.