Rich people buy judgement in Nigeria says Senator Lawan

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan has alluded to the fact that judgement can be procured in Nigerian courts. He said Nigerian society is such where rich and influential people do procure judgements.

Lawan said this on the floor of the Senate on Thursday during the confirmation of Justice Abubakar Musa Sadeeq as President of Customary Court of Appeal, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

While charging the appointee to ensure that the judiciary must remain the baston of hope for every strata of the Nigerian society, the Senate Leader said “ours is a society where people who have so much money buy judgements. I think that is not the type of society that we want”.

Rather, he said Nigetians “want a society where those at the lowest line; the vulnerable , the disadvantage can go to courts and get judgement because they deserve to get those judgements regardless of their socioeconomic status.

” Judiciary you are expected by Nigerians to be firm, to fare, to be committed to those ideals that the founding fathers of this country worked and died for; that is to make life better for every Nigerian”.

Justice Abubakar Sadeeq who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari had his appointment confirmed in less than fifteen minutes following the suspension of Senate confirmation processes due because the 8th Senate was about ending its business session.

Commending the Senate for suspending Senate rule for an accelerated confirmation of an appointee of the executive, Lawan said “this is a very clear demonstration of how the three arms of government can work cordially and productively.

“We have by this action suspended our rules in the interest of the people of this country and the judiciary.

So I believe that there is sense in trying to all the time to ensure that we work in a cordial manner. We have given the judiciary something in the interest of the country”.

The 62 years old jurist joined the Customary Court of Appeal, FCT as a judge in 1993.