Judiciary irredeemably corrupt, declares Senate
.Says paucity of funds crippling institution .Seeks special fund to save judiciary from collapse
The judicial arm of government has come under a heavy knock of the legislature as the Senate on Monday described the Nigerian judiciary as irredeemably corrupt.
The Senate declared that the judiciary has been made vulnerable to corruption on the account of paucity of funds crippling its operations as regards dispensation of justice.
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The legislators expressed concern that except a safety net in form of Special Intervention Fund should be established by the Federal Government to salvage the nation’s judiciary, the institution may collapse.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), made these statling statement during the confirmation hearing session the committee had with Hon Justice John Tsoho and Hon Justice Benedict Bakwaoh Kanyip at the National Assembly on Monday.
The committee later confirmed the nomination of Justice Tsoho as Hon Chief Judge, Federal High Court and Justice Kanyip nomination as President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Senator Bamidele said the judiciary based on realities on ground as regards paucity of funds, is very vulnerable for compromise.
According to him, no democracy can grow or survive with a compromised Judiciary, the very reason, Nigeria Judiciary needs urgent Special Intervention Fund.
“The problem at hand is that Judiciary is Corrupt and it is time for Nigeria and Nigerians to rise up in rescuing it with adequate funding.
“As it is with the nation’s Judiciary today, even if saints are appointed from heaven to serve as Justices and Judges, it is only strength of character that can prevent them from being corrupt and dispense justice as required “, he said.
He added that the issues are both moral and sociological, which according to him, require extra budgetary provisions therapy.
Senator Bamidele, who made the submissions in the presence of the two nominees and other Justices like Binta Nyako, Okon Abang, etc, however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for increasing the budgetary provisions for the Judiciary on yearly basis.
“Within the last four years, budgetary provisions for the Judiciary have been experiencing marginal increases under the present administration but it is not yet Uhuru, the Special Intervention Fund must come first before consistent increase on annual basis “, he added.
Members of the Committee who attended the confirmation hearing session are Senators Chukwuka Utazi, Gabriel Suswam, Bashiru Ajibola, Peter Nwaoboshi, Okey Jev and Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
