Isiyaku Ahmed
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged judges to uphold integrity and consider the wider impact of their judgements on Nigeria’s democracy, peace, stability and development.
He made the call on Sunday while declaring open the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Onwuka Nzeshi.
According to the statement, Governor Fubara said the quality of justice delivered by the courts was closely linked to law and order, democratic stability and national development.
He urged judges to ensure that truth and justice prevail at all times, irrespective of the status, influence or social affiliations of the parties before them.
“We cannot continue to insulate our laws from today’s reality; neither should justice remain shackled by unjust precedents, technicalities, inadequate access, undue delays, slavish adherence to rigid processes, political manipulation, or brazen corruption,” Fubara said.
He warned that persistent impediments to justice had damaged, and continued to damage, public confidence in the judiciary and the legal profession.
According to him, the legal system in a democratic society provides the framework for relationships between government, public and private institutions and citizens.
Fubara stressed that beyond upholding the rule of law, the judiciary remained indispensable to the promotion of democracy, good governance and economic development.
He described the courts as more than venues for settling disputes, saying they should serve as the ultimate refuge for citizens, particularly the vulnerable and marginalized, to seek justice, accountability, human dignity and enforcement of their constitutional rights.
The governor said the ultimate purpose of law was to protect and advance the security and wellbeing of citizens by guaranteeing equality before the law, protecting fundamental rights and creating an environment conducive to socioeconomic development.
He noted that peace, order and meaningful progress thrive where the rule of law is respected, warning that undermining its sanctity could lead to social instability.
“Consequently, we expect that our judges should not be mere apologists or conformists if they are to be the ultimate guardians of our democracy, the rule of law and the advancement of peace and good governance in our country,” he said.
Fubara said public confidence in the judiciary could only be strengthened when judges demonstrate sound knowledge of the law, strong legal reasoning, courage, commitment and integrity in holding both government and citizens accountable to the Constitution.
He argued that justice must move beyond being an ideal and become a reality that positively affects the lives of all Nigerians, including those on the margins of society.
The governor also urged lawyers to remain courageous in defending constitutional democracy, particularly when political power attempts to overreach the Constitution and undermine the rule of law.
Addressing the theme of the conference, “Beyond Limits,” Fubara challenged Nigerian lawyers, whom he described as ministers and custodians of the temple of justice, to rise above real or perceived constraints in protecting the Constitution and advancing citizens’ rights to democracy and good governance.
“In Rivers State, we understand what it means to push beyond limits. We have walked through the furnace of power, may have been bruised, yet remain unbowed in our determination to safeguard our unity, peace and progress and are more resolved than ever in our commitment to delivering the dividends of democracy to our people,” he said.
Also speaking, former Liberian President George Weah, who delivered the keynote address, emphasized the critical role of the judiciary and legal profession in protecting citizens’ rights and freedoms.
Weah urged lawyers and judges to remain impartial and fearless in the discharge of their duties, stressing that every serious nation needs an independent judiciary supported by a courageous legal profession.
He warned that threats to democracy do not come only through military force or defeated political leaders refusing to relinquish power, but can also emerge when judicial institutions are weakened and prevented from performing their constitutional responsibilities.
According to Weah, democracy does not end on election night but is tested every day, stressing that democratic societies cannot survive on strong individuals but on strong institutions.
The former Liberian leader described as a serious threat to democracy any government that claims to be democratic while engaging in corruption or colluding with judicial actors to undermine the rule of law and manipulate society.
