Prominent Ijaw leader, Edwin Clark, has declared that the corruption reports in Nigeria’s judiciary can no longer be tolerated and requested that Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, take steps to reorganize the judiciary.
Clark made the call in an open letter addressed to the CJN during the weekend.
Clark, who reflected on his almost six decades of experience, urged for reforms that would address various challenges, including the restructuring and repositioning of the National Judicial Council and Judicial Services Commission, emphasizing that the continuous negative reports tarnish the reputation of the esteemed profession.
“My Lord, I have decided to write this open letter to your Lordship as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) because the alleged corruption and the malpractices in the Judiciary amounting to the naked abuse of the office can no longer be tolerated because it is a big dent to the image of the noble profession to which we all belonged,” Clark noted in his open letter.
The man from Niger Delta expressed his apologies for any inconvenience or embarrassment caused by his open letter.
However, he recalled that he had previously written an open letter in 2011 to the then Chief Justice Justice Dahiru Musdapher, addressing concerns within the judiciary.
Clark criticized Senator Adamu Muhammed Bulkachuwa’s statement, describing it as irresponsible, insensitive, and mischievous.
In his critique of the judiciary, Clark highlighted the inhumane treatment of former CJN Justice Walter Onoghen and the illegal raiding of Judges’ Houses at midnight.
He also mentioned the socialization between the Judiciary and certain senators who are facing criminal charges, along with conflicting judgments by the same courts in different states of the country.
Furthermore, Clark referred to the recent remarks made by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Adamu Dattijo in his valedictory speech. Justice Dattijo stated that unwholesome practices have compromised the judiciary in Nigeria.
“I have seen the judiciary and the legal profession at their best. It was the pride of the then legal practitioners and the most revered Justices of the various courts of Nigeria and the posture of our most revered Justices that attracted some of us to study law in the United Kingdom.”
He continued, “As a result of recent painful events in the Judiciary and in the Bar, I am compelled to write this second open letter to your Lordship in my usual character to sound a warning to the Judiciary and the Bar,” Leadership quoted Clark as saying.
He further challenged the CJN, Ariwoola reminding him how he and 14 other apex court justices wrote a protest letter in 2022 over the welfare of judges.
Clark said, “In a first-of-its-kind protest letter in the 58-year history of the apex court, the justices chronicled the operational challenges that have almost crippled the efficient adjudication of cases at the court…
My Lord, who led the Supreme Court Judges in the historic petition or memorandum, is now in the saddle as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and you have every authority and responsibility to correct these grave anomalies in the above historic letter written by the Hon. Justices of the Supreme Court under your leadership as was done by your former colleague, Justice Dahiru Musdapher….
I repeat, as Chief Justice of Nigeria, you have every authority to reorganize the Judiciary.
The news media has also reported that the current CJN appears disinterested even when there is a report with which he can institute the reform. Even I gathered from the media that Your Lordship dislikes public opinion and demonstrations by Civil rights organisations, and other respected public opinions should not influence the Judges in their deliberation, which is contradictory to the views held by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher.
This is the main reason I have decided to write this open letter to Your Lordship because I believe and confident that Your Lordship can do it as it was done by your former predecessor in office,” Clark said.
