Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has commended the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, for his efforts aimed at ridding the judiciary of corruption.
The governor, who gave the commendation at the Executive Chambers of the Government House in Ibadan on Thursday, however, warned that justice delay was an invitation to anarchy.
He was speaking while inaugurating Mrs Adenike Adeeyo and Mr Adebukola Lajide as judges of the State High Court.
Governor Ajibobi also commended judges in the state for eschewing corrupt practices that are capable of bringing the state into disrepute.
He congratulated the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Munta Abimbola, for what he called his exemplary leadership.
The governor said that his administration’s avowed adherence to the independence of the judiciary and supremacy of the rule of law was evident in some cases that the state government had lost, which he said was the beauty of democracy.
“I must commend the efforts of the new CJN aimed at sanitising the bench across the nation. Thankfully, our state is considerably exempted from the malfeasance and corruption charges that recently ruffled the judiciary in the country.
“To this end, I wish to publicly commend the Chief Judge of Oyo State for his exemplary leadership and sense of fidelity to all that is noble and honourable. I, therefore, admonish our judges to follow his example by holding firmly to their integrity, shunning all acts that can bring the bench to public opprobrium.
“We are hopeful that the addition of these two new judges to our bench shall add to the value of justice delivery in our state. We expect that they will approach their new duties with utmost fear of God, coupled with a high sense of integrity, wisdom and candour, to justify the confidence reposed in them,” he said.
Ajimobi asked the judges to work towards effective delivery of justice to redress the crisis of congestion of cases in the courts and to avert subversion of people’s rights.
If not addressed, he warned that court congestion could encourage self-help and promote anarchy in the land.
The governor informed that his administration has appointed 13 new judges since 2011, including the two that were inaugurated on Thursday.
He noted that government has never been interested in counting the costs of the said commitments, but has instead chosen to always concentrate on the practical principles that were hinged more on the public good.
“Every day, our people cry for justice – they complain about the injustice in the land and the reasons are not farfetched; our courts are congested with cases while people’s rights are trampled upon by individuals and institutions, thereby posing grave challenges to the effective delivery of justice.
“If and when such inadequacies and injustices are allowed to fester unattended, the society unwittingly regresses to that Hobbesian state where ‘life is nasty, brutish and short.’
“It, therefore, becomes imperative for a responsible government to put in place a well-fortified judiciary peopled by eminent legal minds of impeccable character. Such a judiciary must be serviced by highly resourceful professionals who are well versed in the practice and procedures of the law,” Ajimobi said.
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