By Dayo Benson

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Adesina, has advocated establishment of Court of Appeal and Supreme Court for states to ease congestion of cases at higher courts across the country, saying this is one of his expectation at the ongoing National Conference.

In a chat with newsmen in Lagos, Adesina also noted that the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, recruitment exercise that led to the death of nineteen applicants was capable of endangering a revolution in the country.

According to him, “there are forty-six high courts in Lagos State alone and appeal from these courts will go to the Court of Appeal, and eventually to the Supreme Court. It is this kind of situation that creates congestion at cases. That is why I am advocating that states should have their Courts of Appeal and Supreme Court. This is one of my expectations at the ongoing National Conference. The Confab is a needful exercise. But if the talk does not produce a new Nigeria, then it has failed.”

The former General Secretary of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, (Adesina) added that interlocutory appeals should end at the Court of Appeal and the number of justices at the apex court should be increased from its current twenty-one.

Adesina posited that the over centralization of power at the center should also be addressed at the Confab to bring about a progressive Nigeria, adding “the issue of devolution should be addressed and fiscal federalism should also be looked at.”

He noted that the nation is running a hybrid and confused federalism and if devolution of power is added, it would improve on the electoral process. He said the emolument of public officers should be slashed.
Speaking on the NIS recruitment tragedy, Adesina maintained that the recruitment exercise was a big tragedy that was avoidable, adding that “what happened at the recruitment exercise and considering the level of unemployed graduates, the country is sitting on a keg of gun powder that can explode anytime.”

In his words: “The country should resolve that such recruitment does not happen again because such situation can lead to a revolution. There is much impunity in this part of the world, where people use and misuse power.

The NIS interview should have been decentralized and conducted at local government levels or online.”
Commenting on the 2015 general election, he said: “This country needs a new constitution. The best way out of a possible crisis in 2015 is for the electoral process to be transparent, free and fair”.