Political Class Responsible For Impunity In Nig -Justice Buba

A retired Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Buba, says Nigeria’s political class and not the judiciary is responsible for the prevailing state of impunity in virtually all the sectors of the country.

He warned that untill the political class, which constitutes the executive arm of government, begins to obey the orders of courts, good governance would continue to elude the country while democracy would continue to be endangered.

Justice Buba spoke in Abuja at a one-day workshop on Judicial Accountability, organized by TAP Initiative in conjunction with Open Society Foundation (OSF).

The jurist said that although the judiciary, amongst other arms of government, has the strictest form of regulations as well as qualification, the failure by politicians to respect the country’s Constitution and their own rules would not make Nigeria a better society.

In his keynote address titled, ‘Impact of Judicial Accountability on Public Trust in the Legal’ the retired Federal High Court judge observed that if politicians play by the rules, a lot of political cases would not reach the courts in the first instance.

While arguing that never in the history of Nigeria are the courts so inundated with pre-election matters and election petitions, as under the current dispensation, the former jurist submitted that the Nigerian judiciary has given a very good account of itself.

He also accused politicians and political actors, who cannot have their way, of undermining the independence of the judiciary, not only of starving it of funds but ensuring an erosion of independence and trying to remove chief judges unconstitutionally.

Buba noted that if the country playx politics of development and politics of advancement, resources will not be wasted on inter-party fighting, election petitions and by extension, dragging the judiciary in the mud of the conflict.

The Executive Director of TAP Initiative, Mr Martins Obono, in a welcome address, stated that the workshop was aimed at enhancing public trust and confidence in the judiciary.

He however lamented that judicial officers shy away from accountability and called for a change of heart.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji