THE President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, has warned that the depth of corruption in the judiciary is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Osigwe raised the alarm on Friday in Enugu in a lecture titled, “Judicial Corruption In Nigeria: A Menace to Democracy And Social Justice,” he delivered at the 17th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture.
At the lecture, which the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), organized, Osigwe stated that, “judicial corruption strikes at the very heart of the rule of law.”
He bemoaned how the judiciary, the bastion and hope of the common man, has steadily become compromised and vulnerable to undue influences.
Osigwe stated that, “when justice becomes a commodity traded in chambers and corridors, the judiciary ceases to be the last hope of the common man and becomes the refuge of the powerful and corrupt.”
The President of NBA noted further that as soon as “court decisions are suspected to be shaped by money, politics, or personal connections, the legitimacy of the entire justice system is fatally damaged.”
To him, patterns of unethical behaviour have continued to stymie public confidence, with citizens viewing the justice system as one fraught with manipulation, as justice is sold and bought.
According to Osigwe, the poor are mostly affected since they can’t compete in “the race to purchase justice.”
Tracing the effects of judicial corruption beyond the courtroom, Osigwe noted the menace has stunted the growth of governance and investments.
He stressed that judicial corruption is more than a legal problem and stated that, “democracy cannot endure where citizens no longer believe that justice is fair, impartial, and accessible.”
He lamented that despite calls for reforms, corruption within the judiciary has persisted and, in the eyes of many Nigerians, become more entrenched.
Osigwe insisted that the judiciary will suffer disrespect as long as its integrity remains under scrutiny.
He therefore tasked the National Judicial Council (NJC) to step up and enforce standards and needed reforms especially the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary.
Harping on the cost of judicial corruption on the nation’s democracy, the National President (Cap’n) of NAS, Dr Joseph Oteri lamented the risk of the collapse of public trust with the infiltration of the courts by corruption.
NAS Cap’n stated that the credibility of elections ultimately rests on the competence of the judiciary and when politicians and voters lose faith in the courts, self-help, and disengagement from the democratic process will prevail.
A panel of discussants, Joyce Chiamaka Iwejuo, Chioma Umunna, John Okwoeze Odey, Obum Arum, and Uche Maurice Maduemesi, moderated by Uche Gabriel, called for deeper reforms and transparency in appointments, as critical steps in restoring public trust in the judiciary.
