By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

The Acting Chief Justice  of Nigeria, Justice  Walter Onnoghen, has threatened to wield the big stick against corrupt judicial officers across the federation.
“Let me seize this opportunity to remind us that as Ministers in the Temple of Justice, we must shun all corrupt practices in order to align ourselves with the anti-corruption strides of the current administration”, Justice Onnoghen stated at his first official function.

The event was the opening ceremony of 2016 conference of all Nigerian Judges of the lower courts.

Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen taking the oath of office before the President at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi ADESHIDA 10/11/2016

The theme of the biennial conference which took place at the National Judicial Institute, NJI, was, ‘The Lower Courts as Veritable Instruments for Justice and Peace in a Democratic Society’.The Acting CJN decried that corrupt practices by judicial officers have greatly exposed the the Nigerian Judiciary to lots of criticism.
Judges at the conference were drawn from 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Speaking to the participants, Justice Onnoghen said: “Your primary role as judges of the Lower Courts is to settle disputes that come before you in accordance with the provisions of the law.

“The performance of this onerous task depends on several factors such as strict adherence to the rule of law, the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers, access to justice, integrity and independence of the Judiciary. While acknowledging your competence in discharging your duties, we are not unmindful of the challenges you face, which hinders the smooth administration of justice and exposes the Judiciary to a lot of criticisms.

“These challenges are in the areas of inadequate funding/infrastructure/facilities, caseload volume,corrupt practices and most significantly delays in relation to criminal trials, which has contributed to the congestion of our prisons. “Distinguished participants, as guardians of the rule of law, let me remind you that administering justice is crucial to the effective running and stability of a democratic society as well as the peaceful coexistence of its citizens, without which the society will degenerate into anarchy.”

In her welcome address, Administrator of the NJI, Justice R. P. I. Bozimo, said the conference provides an avenue for lower court Judges to not only update their skills and knowledge, but also refreshes them on contemporary legal issues.

“It is important to state that for the Lower Courts to serve as veritable instruments for justice and peace in a democratic society, they must continually demonstrate deep foresight for productivity, exceptional capacity and remarkable courage in the defence of constitutionally guaranteed individual and institutional rights,  upheld for a better tomorrow”, Justice Bozimo added.