By  Abdulwahab  Abdulah

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has been accused of trivialising alleged rot in the judiciary by inviting the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Court of Appeal, who are presently undergoing investigations to its seminar, held in Abuja, on rule of law.

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, who made the allegation, argued that the invitation of the duo to the seminar raised so many questions, which showed that the Bar was imvolved in the alleged corrupt practices on the Bench.

Aturu said though, “none of the allegations had been proved and indeed a Committee of the National Judicial Council is examining them and will report its findings in a few weeks’ time. Nevertheless, it is indefensible that these gentlemen should have been invited as if all is well with our judiciary.”

Further he said, “It is clearly despicable and irresponsible for the committee to have given any role to these judicial leaders in such a way to suggest that the allegations do not matter. The impression one gets is that the Committee might be on an image-sprucing mission for the CJN and the PCA. It is shameful enough that in this country, people alleged to have abused their offices do not consider resignation. At least they can lie low, as we say.”

According to him, this “ought to have compelled the attendance of decent Nigerians, as the search for the rule of law remains topical. Unfortunately, the organisers, the Rule of Law Committee of the NBA, were so insensitive as to have invited as chairs of sessions both the CJN and the PCA, whom are subjects of damaging allegations of gross abuse of office and corruption.”

Aturu added that no serious lawyer would support any attempt to sweep the serious allegations of corruption against the senior members of the Bench under the carpet. “The allegations concern the performance or non performance of public duties, they can only be properly dealt with in the public domain and not in any committee whether of the bar or of the bench. Until and unless we deal with matters of this nature in the public many disreputable, persons will be right to assume that corruption pays,” he added.