Nigerian governors are deliberately frustrating reforms and autonomy for the Judiciary. This was contained in a statement by Comrade Marwan Mustapha, National president of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) made available to newsmen in Abuja recently.
The Union leader stated that, President Muhammadu Buhari has however demonstrated political will in this regard, but the governors are deliberately refusing to comply to the provisions of the constitution.
He lamented the poor state of the Nation’s judiciary which would have received a facelift should they be granted financial autonomy. He said the poor state of the judiciary could further lead to poor motivation and delays in the dispensation of justice.
According to him, “just take a drive to Kogi, Nassarawa, Benue, Niger or any other state in Nigeria, the story is same for the customary and Sharia courts. Most courts are housed in dilapidated shops with some magistrates boarding same public transport with litigants. Such a situation could lead to compromised judgements”. He said “funny enough, these judges do bulk of the work as they can attend to about 20 cases a day without unnecessary adjournments”.
He used the opportunity to call on all relevant bodies including the Federal government to go beyond rhetoric in ensuring that reforms and autonomy in the judiciary sees the light of the day.
Repositioning the Nigerian judiciary is a clarion call that deserves collective efforts as the court is seen as the last hope of the common man.