We Will Ensure Unity Through Effective, Efficient Justice Delivery ― CJN

The Supreme Court of Nigeria is ever ready for any eventuality
and well prepared to keep the country together as one indivisible
entity through effective and efficient justice delivery, the Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has
said.

Justice Muhammad stated this while addressing the members of the
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), led by
their Chairman, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), who paid a courtesy
visit to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

A statement by the Director, Press and Information of the
Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande said the CJN revealed that the
Apex Court, being the highest and final court in the country, is
always very critical and conscious of every case that comes before
it on appeal and as such, the Justices always put in concerted
effort by doing a critical review of all facts and evidence before
them to arrive at a decision in order to give justice to all
parties in a free, fair and generally acceptable manner without any
iota of equivocation.

‘’We are all seasoned judicial officers that were appointed to
the Supreme Court based on merit, experience and qualification. We
are bound by the oath we have subscribed to and thus discharge our
responsibilities without deference to anybody and we will continue
to do so.

“We are never above board as human beings, so we are open to
constructive criticisms. It may interest you to know that before we
deliver any ruling or judgment, no matter how small it is, even if
it is only five sentences, we have to hold a conference with all
the Justices on the panel and could even expand it in some critical
situations to involve all the justices of the court.

“The sole aim of this practice is to ensure that justice is
given in every case before us, no matter how infinitesimal it might
be because we are the final court in the land.

“Our judgments are always all-encompassing and must, at all
times, reflect the feelings and views of every Justice on the
panel. Dissenting judgments are always encouraged because we cannot
see things from the same perspective.”

Justice Muhammad assured the visitors that the Supreme Court,
would continue to dispense justice in a free and fair manner that
every citizen will be happy to say at the end of the day that
justice is done, except of course, for those people who will only
accept that justice is done when it favours them and not when the
right thing is done.

He urged the PACAC members to help impress on the executive the
need to be releasing all funds meant for the Judiciary at the
appropriate time to avoid halting its operations.

The CJN further appealed to them to always offer advice whenever
the need arises and not to also hesitate to forward petitions
against any erring Judge to the National Judicial Council for
immediate action, stressing that his administration is poised to
maintain a zero-tolerance for corruption within the Judiciary.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the Presidential
Advisory Council Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay informed the
host that the committee was in the court on a congratulatory visit
to the CJN for the well-deserved appointment as the Chief Judicial
Officer of the Federation and wished him well in his new
office.

‘’We are here to express our solidarity and also show
appreciation with the way the Chief Justice of Nigeria is treating
corruption cases in the court. Contrary to what people have been
saying, neither I nor my committee is hostile to the Judiciary. We,
therefore, urge the Supreme Court of Nigeria, being the apex court
of the country, to always use Justice as the basis of judgment and
not the law.

“Whenever there is a clash between justice and law, justice
should always prevail. There should never be a situation where law
will take the place of justice”, Sagay stated and craved the
indulgence of the CJN and other Justices of the Supreme Court to
always make sure that once there is a situation where there seems
to be no remedy or a way out of a nebulous issue, they should apply
their well-endowed wisdom to find a way out to save the county from
any form of breakdown or chaos.