Abuja – President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday challenged Nigerian judges to address the problem of slow dispensation of justice to restore the people’s confidence in the judiciary.

The president made the call while declaring open the 2011 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference at the National Judicial Institute (NJI) Complex in Abuja.

He said that his administration was concerned about the slow pace at which cases were handled in court and declared its preparedness to cooperate with the judiciary to address the problem.

“`We have hundreds of our people spending long periods in jail just waiting for their trials to commence.

“This means that accused persons are consigned to a life of misery and pain even before their guilt or innocence is established. Besides, justice is unwittingly delayed.

“If the judiciary must continue to enjoy the confidence of the populace, the wheel of justice must move more speedily and must be seen to be doing so, without any compromise.

“We are determined to provide whatever support that may be needed to tackle this challenge.’’

He also counselled the judges on the need to remain focused, undaunted and to continue to hold firmly to their oath of office.

Jonathan said that the theme of the conference: “Towards the sustenance of Judicial ethics in Nigeria’’, was apt and tallied with his administration’s transformation agenda.

He said that the success of the transformation agenda depended largely on the ability of the judiciary to sustain its ethics and discharge its role creditably and within the purview of the constitution.

He also called on the judges to uphold fairness, impartiality, integrity and incorruptibility.

Jonathan also called on the judges to make their contributions to the on-going constitutional amendment.

He said his administration had inaugurated a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, to handle the responsibility.

Earlier, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, emphasised the need for the formulation of a National Judicial Policy which, he said, was lacking at the moment.

Musdapher said that the judiciary was in urgent need of a “radical and surgical’’ reform, and promised the third arm of government that he would ensure that the people’s confidence in the judiciary was restored.

He appealed to the state governors to comply with the constitutional provision, which mandated them to pay directly to the state judiciary amounts due to them.

The CJN said many governors were violating the provision of the constitution, adding that it was hindering the organ from discharging its role effectively.

Setting out the tune for the conference, the Administrator of NJI, Justice Umaru Eri, said the meeting was a biennial forum for judges and Khadis of superior courts to meet, interact and harmonise ideas.

The four former chief justices of Nigeria were in attendance.

They are: justices Mohammed Uwais, Alfa Belgore, Idris Kutigi and Alloysius Katsina-Alu.

The Chief Justice of the Republic of Gambia, Justice Emmanuel Akomaye-Agim, was also at the conference opening ceremony. (NAN)