Akanbi seeks sacking of compromised judicial officers
MAY 4, 2013
Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka
A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, has said that Nigeria will be destroyed if the judiciary is manipulated.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, he said with the negative trend of events in the country, the judiciary was now the institution expected to provide hope, justice and transparency for the people.
He said the call by the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, that the judiciary should not allow itself to be manipulated, was quite in order.
The literary icon had warned that the manipulation of the judiciary could lead to chaos in the country.
He made the observation in a reaction to recent developments in Rivers State.
He warned politicians to desist from manipulating the judiciary to prevent a state of anarchy in the country.
Soyinka had explained that though the judiciary was making a headway in reforms, there was still the need to visit some dark areas in the sector.
The literary giant spoke on Monday in Port Harcourt during the marking of the emergence of Port Harcourt as the 2014 World Book Capital.
Akanbi concurred with Soyinka that the judiciary should not allow itself to be manipulated.
He opined that once the judiciary was manipulated, the nation was finished.
He argued that the judiciary, by law and convention, is an independent body, adding that it should be truly independent from other bodies as stipulated by the doctrine of separation of power.
He warned that nobody, including politicians, should attempt to manipulate the judiciary.
According to him, manipulating the judiciary means bending the rule of law.
He counselled that the judiciary must be independent, focused and transparent to do what is just and right.
He added that the judiciary should not allow itself to be influenced by extraneous events or people.
Akanbi, who is the founding Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, said any judicial officer who allowed himself to be manipulated was not worthy of holding that post.
He said the judiciary should stand for justice and remain the last hope for the common man.
He added that judges must stand out clearly and be above board and pleaded with judicial officers to be resolute and firm in their calling, adding that if anybody was trying to manipulate the judiciary, officials should make sure that such a person did not succeed in his plans.
He said he was happy with the reform in the judiciary by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.
Akanbi said, “Nobody should destroy the judiciary. If you destroy the judiciary, the nation is finished. In fact, with the state of affairs today, the only hope is the judiciary.
“Anything that will destroy the judiciary is inimical to the progress and development of this country. Whether politicians or non-politicians, we should not use the judiciary as an instrument to destroy the unity and existence of this nation.
“Judicial workers are supposed to be above board and should not be under the influence of anybody. When they start interfering with the judiciary, things will go worse.
“Any judicial officer that allows himself to be manipulated is unworthy of his office. We have heard stories that some judges made themselves open to some politicians and they are now their agents. Those ones should be flushed out. They are not worthy of being judicial officers. The judiciary must be independent.
“We are pleased that the present CJN does not allow anybody, including politicians in his house, to interfere with her work. Once the judiciary comes straight, things will go on well. Once the judiciary does not allow itself to be manipulated, justice, fairness and equity will prevail. So, I wholeheartedly agree with Soyinka.”
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