By Ezra Ukanwa, Abuja

Director-General, Institute of Law Research and Development of United Nations (ILAWDUN), Washington DC, USA, Prof. Cyprian Edward-Ekpo, has called on President Bola Tinubu to sanitize the judiciary of corruption and negative narrative.

Edward-Ekpo made the call in a statement made available to pressmen on Friday in Abuja.

The Don said: “Judges are the voices of sentencing, but their freedom of choice is limited by the rule of law, good conscience, principles of integrity and morality.

“Quite appalling, today’s role of the Nigerian judiciary – comprising the Judex and the Bar, has been different. It has progressed to an international public ridicule and odium, and quite perilous.

“The law in Nigeria has lost a constructive role as a guidance and protector of a stable and democratic system – promoting a systemic mass toward desecration of temples of justice and state’s destruction.

“Beyond debates, this judo-moral crisis demands a critical-mass response – a new approach to Stemming the cancerous system – of corruption and intellectual poverty among judicial officers and court administrative staffers.”

He equally called on the National Judicial Council to set up a committee of amicus and retired judges known for integrity and intellectual excellence, to review controversial judgments handed by several courts and tribunals other than those of the Supreme Court.

He added that the committee could receive reports/petitions of glaring disproportionate judgments, review them and invite the judges for questioning where the basis of their judgment is found wanting.

“Two factors stand as causal elements to the problem of Nigeria judiciary. They include Intellectual poverty of some judges and corruption.

“The process of which appointment of judges are made should be reviewed forthwith, due consideration to creating a mechanism for only the best brains and tested characters to be appointed into the Bench,’’ Edward-Ekpo suggested”, he said

He also appealed to Tinubu to consult with the National Assembly and present the Executive Bill to tackle judicial corruption and enhance the integrity and independence of the judiciary within the framework of the constitution.

The Don also said that each nation, by definition, has had a history of political and moral questions, adding that most were easily resolved when the head of government demonstrated his willpower towards corrective measures.