By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed has attributed the failure of the executive arm of government to implement disciplinary measures made by the National Judicial Council (NJC) on erring Judges as responsible for decay in the Judiciary.

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed

This was contained in a statement issued and signed by Timothy Adewale, a Senior Staff with Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP in Lagos.

The letter by Justice Mohammed dated October 26, 2016, in response to an earlier petition stated: “the failure on the part of the Executive Arm of Government to act upon recommendations by the National Judicial Council (NJC) cannot be blamed upon the NJC.”

The letter with reference No.CJN/Gen/MISC/A37/Vol.XXI/8 and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the CJN, H. S. Sa’eed was a response to a request by SERAP requesting the CJN to refer the cases of the indicted Justices to the necessary agency for prosecution.

The number one Justice told SERAP that: “Certainly, you will agree with me that where there are clear constitutional provisions relating to the power of any individual, institution or Arm of Government, then it cannot deviate nor exceed such powers as this will be unlawful.”

Expressing the willingness of the NJC to act upon any petition as well as commitment of the Nigerian judiciary to the fight against corruption, the letter opined that: “His Lordship opines that any significant involvement in the fight against corruption will be upon a similar commitment of the Prosecutorial Agencies to actively prosecute their cases expeditiously when information about same is received.”