By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has tackled those criticizing the judiciary over recent rulings made on some election cases filed before it.
The CJN expressed concern that many Nigerians have chosen to believe that the country’s judiciary was being bought over by some group of people.
In a statement issued by the Supreme Court Director of Press and Information, Dr. Festus Akande on Saturday in Abuja, the CJ warned its critic’s to be mindful of infringing on other people’s rights, despite the right to free expression.
“We have watched with utter dismay some unfortunate events that have been unfolding in the country, particularly within the political landscape, for some days now.
“It is so disheartening to learn that some individuals and groups of persons who ought to know better and even assume the revered positions of role models to a larger proportion of the citizens are now sadly, the very ones flagrantly displaying ignorance and infantilism in the course of defending the indefensible.
“We have made it abundantly clear at different occasions that judicial officers are neither political office holders nor politicians that should be dressed in such robes.
“No court in any clime is a Father Christmas; so, no one can get what he or she didn’t ask for.
“Similarly, all matters are thoroughly analysed and considered based on their merits and not the faces that appear in courts or sentiments that attempt to becloud the sense of reasoning.
“So, for anyone in his or her right frame of mind to insinuate that the justices have been bought over by some unknown and unseen persons is, to say the least, a bizarre expression of ignorance, which definitely has no place in law.
The CJN said that although these criticisms are expected with the electioneering period approaching, the judiciary expects decorum in the manner such grievances are presented.
“We are not surprised with the surge of these well-orchestrated verbal assaults on judicial officers across the country at this period of elections”.
According to the him, ‘it is a thing we are used to and are ever ready to absorb whatever comes our way; but there should be some level of decorum and dignity in what we say and do.
“Politics should not be played without recourse to good conscience and acceptable moral conduct, as everything is evolving globally”.
“If political parties fail to organise themselves well by managing their internal wrangling maturely and now chose to bring themselves to the court: we are duty-bound to adjudicate in accordance with the provisions of the law and not the dictates of any individual or deity, as some people would want us to do.
“If political parties conduct themselves well and orderly too, the courts would definitely handle less cases and the political atmosphere will be much healthier than it is currently,”he said.
He reiterated the commitment of the judiciary to uphold the rule of law in the interest of the nation’s growth.
“We shall continue to do our best in discharging our constitutional responsibility to keep the country together and move the nation along the path of peace, progress and development,” he said.
