By Kunle Awosiyan
As she steps in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun is expected to revamp the confidence in the judicial system of the country.
This was the summary of the views of senior lawyers who spoke to Echonews shortly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu swore in the CJN on Friday.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Roland Otaru said that he would expect the new CJN to quickly address the issue of conflicting judgments in the judiciary.
He said “We are counting on her to reform the judiciary. The body of benchers on which I’m a member organised a seminar sometime, headed by former CJN, Walter Onnoge in which we want the CJN to look at issues of conflicting judgements. We are going to get a robust report on this especially with the character of the new CJN, which it is unimpeachable.
I want to say without any equivocation that honourable Justice Kekere-Ekun is very cerebral. She has what it takes to be the CJN. She started from magistracy up to the apex court. There is no doubt that she is going to address many of the problems in the Judiciary because she has garnered experience over time and looking at her judicial trajectory you will agree with me that she is indeed a round peg in a round hole. She knows his onions and any time he presides over matter, she is always fair and on top of her game.”
To Mr. Jiti Ogunye, a Lagos constitutional lawyer and public affairs commentator, Hon. Justice Kekere-Ekun is coming at a time a lot needs to be done in the judiciary. “Though there were some initiatives by the retired CJN Olukayode Ariwoola regarding the adjustment of salaries and emolument of the judicial officers and the increase in the retirement age of the justices of the high court from 65 to 70 years. Kekere-Ekun is coming at a time the judiciary is suffering the crisis of confidence not because the judicial officers are not doing their best but because of combinations of inconsistencies and cynicism by a great number of the public. For example, the seeming cronyism and nepotism in the appointments of judicial officers. We are now having jurists having their biological children recommended by the National Judicial Commission in succession to take position. Of course, it is not in the constitution that family members cannot occupy such position but there is a clause in the Code of Conduct that kicks against
this, which the current NJC must activate to stop this.
He explained that the way things are going, there is possibility of dynasty in judicial appointment. “I will expect justice Kekere-Ekun to deal with all these issues. She should also address the issue of delay and congestion at the supreme court,” Ogunye posited.
Speaking, a popular lawyer, Chetam Nwala condemned the infiltration of judiciary by politicians, which to him the CJN must stop to restore the hope of the common man on the street.
In his view, a director at the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, described Kekere-Ekun as a thoroughbred professional who did not just go to school but very familiar with judicial craft.
“Apart from the fact that she had quality legal education. She also learnt the ropes. If nobody was fit in terms of profile, I think she is very fit, however she had come at a time the credibility of the judiciary has nosedived. She has to whip into line, erring judges. She has to revamp public trust in the judiciary and turn around the jurisprudence to be more democratic. She should stop the co-mingling of the judicial officers with politicians.
To Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, where Kekere-Ekun had hailed from, Lagos State is proud to produce the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria.
He said the uncompromising jurist is a good ambassador of Lagos State, particularly the State judiciary, where she served passionately for over two decades in different capacities before her elevation to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in 2004 and 2013 respectively.
Governor Sanwo-Olu urged Justice Kekere-Ekun to uphold the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and justice, which she had been known for in the discharge of her duties and make the judiciary to remain the true hope for the common man.
“On behalf of my family, the government, and the people of Lagos State, I congratulate our Amazon, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on her appointment as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria. The emergence of a Lagos indigene, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, as the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria is a thing of joy to us, and we are happy to associate with her. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun’s appointment is well deserved, and going by her antecedents as a seasoned jurist with over 30 years in the bar and bench as legal practitioner and Justice of the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, she will not disappoint Nigeria.”
President Bola Tinubu on Friday administered oath of office on Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), pending her confirmation by the Senate.
At the swearing-in ceremony, President Tinubu urged the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria to defend the independence of the judiciary and promote the cause of justice.
The President emphasized the importance of strengthening mechanisms that will uphold and enhance integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judiciary.
”Undoubtedly, the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria comes with enormous responsibilities as the head of all judicial institutions in the country. It is a position of considerable influence that demands temperance and sobriety. The occupant of the office must exude the highest level of integrity in the discharge of their duties.
This is more so because of the finality of the Supreme Court’s judgments. I, therefore, urge your Lordship to be faithful and loyal to the constitution when discharging your duty as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria. I also encourage you to defend the judiciary’s independence and always promote the cause of justice. It is vital that you strengthen all mechanisms for integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judicial sector, and pursue other reforms or initiatives to sustain and build public confidence in the judiciary,” the President stated.
Speaking to the media after the swearing-in, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria pledged to elevate the judiciary to new heights, improve its reputation, and sustain public confidence in the judicial system.
” We will make sure that people have more confidence in the judiciary, and I believe that it is not a one-man job. We all have to be on board because we all see the areas that are in need of improvement. I believe that there will be maximum cooperation because we all want to see a better judiciary.
A better judiciary is for the benefit of the entire nation. Whatever the shortcomings that we see today are, we are all members of the society so, if we want to see a better society, if we want to see improvement, let the improvement start with each and every one of us and our approach to justice. Let us all have faith in the system and then also be particular about the process of appointment, I know it is a source of a lot of concern; the issue of discipline on the bench and at the bar as well.”
All of these things are aspects that we will look into and I believe that by the grace of God, at the end of my tenure, we should be able to have a judiciary that we will all be proud of,” she said.