A pro-democracy civil society organisation, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described as ‘a gratuitous and an egregious corruption’ and systematic bribery of the judiciary for the executive branch of government to lavish public funds in building living mansions for justices and judges in the judicial branch of government.
The group also noted that it was a clear violation of the Constitutionally protected separation of powers distilled distinctively in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the civil society organisation wondered why the judiciary, which draws her funds direct from the Federation Account was going cap-in-hand begging people it called ‘power-seeking political ideologues’ for lavished accommodation and housing assets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
HURIWA also claimed that the housing assets allocated and being speedily erected by the APC-led administration for transfer to the judges and the justices was a clear plot to pocket the judicial officials who are expected to dispense justice fairly and justly in matters involving different political parties, politicians, citizens and groups just as the group expressed fear that henceforth it would be tough for litigants filing cases against the office of president of Nigeria or the officials of the Federal Capital Authority/Administration to expect to get justice since the executive branch of government has already dangled juicy carrots in the forms of exotic housing assets in the choicest area of Abuja to judges and the justices of the Federal High Court and the Appellate courts.
“The Federal government even boasted in a boisterous fashion that it unilaterally revoked the validly issued certificates or ownership that it gave to the German construction firm in Nigeria, Julie’s Berger, so as to pass these juicy landed assets and the soon to be completed houses to judges and justices.
“HURIWA has by this media statement disagree sharply with the position of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, who publicly said that the Tinubu administration recognizes the mental and emotional well-being of judicial officers.
“She said the administration has in mind the fact that the mental and emotional health of judicial officers is directly tied to their living conditions.
“She made this statement on Monday during the flag-off of the design and construction of 40 housing units for Judges’ Quarters in Katampe District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
(Leadership)
