President Bola Tinubu has implored the nation’s Judiciary to embark on reforms that would ensure a functional justice system that will support a rapidly growing economy, guarantee basic human and political rights of individuals as well as provide security and justice to all Nigerians.
According to him, much can be achieved when institutions of government, including the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, unite to acknowledge their challenges and brainstorm with a view to proffering solutions to the problems bedeviling Nigeria.
President Tinubu gave the charge on Wednesday when he declared open the National Summit on Justice, 2024, held at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja.
The President who was represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, urged the judiciary to align its activities within the tenets of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly as they relate “to the priorities on inclusivity, fairness, rule of law, and anti-corruption stance, among other things”.
Delivering the President’s address at the event, VP Shettima explained that the federal government is determined to implement its policies and promises made to Nigerians for a renewed hope, through the instrumentality of the “law and the dictates of justice to create opportunities for our people”.
Earlier, the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio commended the commitment of all stakeholders in the justice sector in building a consensus that will ensure a more robust judicial system that guarantees justice for all irrespective of background and social status.
He underscored the commitment of the National Assembly for a more vibrant and transformative justice system, assuring that the legislature will play its part by deliberating on the outcome of the summit in a bid to enshrine the outcomes into law.
On his part, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Okukayode Ariwoola, said given expectations from the judiciary, undertaking a holistic reform of the sector had become necessary, noting that “constitutional, statutory and operational reforms in the justice sector is imperative in meeting the aspirations and yearnings of the general public.”
The CJN attributed most of the achievements recorded in the judiciary to the support of Tinubu administration, particularly in the enhancement of the welfare of judicial officers and improvement in their working environment.
In the same vein, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, emphasised the significance of the revised draft national policy on justice, noting that building a national consensus on the advancement of the justice sector has become necessary.
On his part, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau, commended leaders in the justice sector for convening the summit and noted that reforming practices and mechanism for operations in the sector was critical to the overall economic transformation of the country.
Also present at the event were the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq; Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Barau Jibrin; Ministers of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Muhammad Idris; Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede; Chairman of the NDLEA, Maj.- Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), and Chief Judges from the states, among others.
