When I read the article by GODWIN AGBROKO, entitled MY LORD THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER published on the back page of THISDAY of Tuesday, 27th, June, 2006, an ironic admixture of shame and pride churned up in me. Shame, because as a member of the much-hallowed profession, the legal profession, the statement credited to the Chief Justice of the federation, to say the least, was an unprecedented faux pas and betrayal of the honour, esteem and awe with which the apex court, nay, the entire legal profession is held. On the other hand, I felt proud that in this nation where sycophancy characterizes the only form of “veneration” we give to those in authority in order to have the “connection”, the unpretentious, sincere, unapologetic and incisive condemnation of the C.J.N’s endorsement of military interregnum in Nigeria political history by the writer gives one the feeling that there are a few Nigerians out there who can still make one proud to be a Nigerian.
As if the above was not enough, equally disturbing is the CJN’s recent pronouncement in the ongoing Ekiti impeachment saga where My Lord too soon threw his hat into the ring when he hastily came to the conclusion voiding the appointment of the new Chief Judge of Ekiti State even while not sitting to decide the case that may ultimately come before him for adjudication. While one is not in support of the theatre of absurd going on in Ekiti State that may have prompted My Lord to make the above pronouncement, one expects the CJN, with greatest respect, to exhibit a level of equanimity, temperateness and calmness in the face of such bickering in view of the sensitive nature of his office. We all expected my lord to keep his gunpowder dry in such situation until such a time when the matter comes before him that he will have the opportunity to pour his judicial venoms on the defaulting party.
Having said the above, I further want to state that the office occupied by My Lord, The Honourable Chief Justice of the federation, Justice Moddibo Alfa Belgore, from all intents and purposes, is supposed to be completely detached from the vagaries of political leanings, religious sentiments, primordial sentiments and subjectivity. This is necessary in order for the occupier of such an office to be able do justice to all parties that may appear before him, irrespective of creed, religious affiliation, political leaning and friendship sentiment. Incidentally, My Lord, the Chief Justice, sits in the apex judicial office where he has the final say, as it where, in the decision and final resolution of disputes of various shades and colours between parties.
It is imperative to point this out that the office of the C.J.N, being the highest judicial office in the land, carries with it corresponding high expectations of moral probity, uprightness, transparency and above all, objectivity. Consequently, the Chief Justice must be seen at all times, with due respect, to be dispassionate, temperate and cautious in his expression of opinions on matters of public interest, whether sitting in his official capacity as the C.J.N or not. The then living oracle of law, the late Lord Denning, (as he then was) drove home the point more succinctly when he asserted (and was universally accepted as true) that justice is rooted in confidence. The confidence of a reasonable man on the ability of the judiciary to do justice stands the risk of being eroded where the public who are the prospective litigants in the apex court begins to detect any musical note of political leaning, friendship sentiment, religious affiliations et cetera, in the
judicial symphony.
Finally, let me zero in again on “confidence” and state that confidence in the judiciary is the fulcrum upon which the goal of efficient justice delivery can be achieved. Express support for past military interregnum that has now resulted in the public interpretation of same as a tacit endorsement of the candidature of an ex military dictator for the forthcoming democratic election, is certainly not one of the ways of building up public confidence, the sine qua non, of efficient justice delivery.
*CHRIS E. AGBITI, ESQ.
