Judicial Autonomy: When A Silky General Is Missing In Action

By Vincent Adodo, Esq.

Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN would appear to have warmed himself
into the hearts of many a Nigerian, especially those of southern
Nigerian extraction. His recent shot into national political
limelight stems from his unwavering radical stance on issues of
insecurity pervading the country, even when his views would appear
to pitch him against ‘the Presidency.’

Akeredolu proved his mettle as Chairman of South West Governors
Forum when he rebuffed an attempt by the Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN to dismiss
as unconstitutional and illegal the initiative of the South West
Governors Forum to float Amotekun, the South Western Security
Network initiated by Governors of the South West to tackle headlong
the menace of insecurity that had threatened the peace of the
region.

Akeredolu SAN’s brother Governors must have identified his
sterling quality of musterring gutts for dissents -not giving a
hoot whose ox is gored- when they annointed him to do the hatchet
job at Asaba. Chief Akeredolu, it would appear, was a deliberate
choice by the Southern Governors to lead them in belling the cat,
as it was crystal clear that most of the issues forming the crux of
the Asaba declaration were matters that would ruffle feathers in
Aso rock.

So far, Akeredolu has not disappointed, his brother Southern
Governors and the people of Southern Nigeria appear to be happy
with him. This however does not translate to a state of Uhuru when
his performance as the Chief Executive of Ondo is to be
assessed.

While Aketi (Chief Akeredolu’s political baptismal name) would
appear to be demonstrating leadeship as earlier alluded, a lot more
of his patriotism and energy are missing where they are darely
required at the moment.

As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a former President of the
Nigerian Bar Association and a life member of the Body of Benchers,
Chief Akeredolu SAN stands in a vantage position to nudge on his
brother Governors to embrace and implement financial autonomy for
the Judiciary in their states as provided by the Constitution. If
he wills, Chief Akeredolu posseses the clouth to make things
happen, at least among Governors of States of the South West.

It cannot be gainsaid that the Judiciary in Nigeria is at the
moment a shadow of itself, having over the years been starved of
funds and reduced to a beggarly condition. At the sight of the
timid state of what the third estate of the realm in Nigeria had
become, Oputa, Eso, Jinadu, Aniagolu, Obaseki and many of their
ilks would bite their fingers in regret in their graves.

It is a truism that the Bench cannot speak for itself for their
Lordships are only to be seen and not to be heard, thus
traditionally, the Bar speaks for the Bench! This is the agelong
tradition of the legal profession which tradition is collateral to
the symbiotic relationship between the Bar and the Bench. Chief
Akeredolu at the moment is the most senior member of the Bar in the
ranks of the Nigerian Governors Forum and he ought to and be seen
to be promoting the rule of law which the Nigerian Bar stands for.
As a senior lawyer and a former helmsman of the Bar, Chief
Akeredolu passes for the status of a General in an Army.

An independent Judiciary is a sine qua non to the rule of law
and Chief Akeredolu, SAN knows this. As President of the NBA, he
championed the course for an independent Judiciary. One remembers
how vociferous he was in condemning the Katsina-Alu/Salami saga
which escalated from the wranglings between the then Chief Justice
of Nigeria- Late Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, GCON and the
then President of the Court of Appeal- Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami,
OFR over the attempted disbandment of the panel sitting on the
Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition in 2011 to satisfy
certain political interests.The rest of this incident is
history.

Despite that Chief Akeredolu now as a Governor has all it takes
to walk his talk by demonstrating leadership in the promotion of
the rule of law through ensuring that the judiciary is financially
independent, it is however surprising that Chief Akeredolu has been
missing in action since the current  agitation for judicial
autonomy started in April 2021 with the JUSUN stike.

At the moment, the Nigerian Governors Forum has reached an
agreement with JUSUN on their demands for financial Independence
for the Judiciary- a development which stakeholders had hoped would
see an end to the industrial action by JUSUN, the MoU is still
lying on the ground waiting for the NGF’s signature. To be sure
that the NGF is not taking it for a jolly ride, JUSUN had insisted
that the stike would continue unless the accounts of the Heads of
Courts are credited directly with funds standing to the credit of
the Judiciary in all the States affected.

Now, the States have received their monthly allocations from the
Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of
April 2021 but none of the Governors have shown commitment to
comply with their agreement with JUSUN by paying the amount
standing to the credit of the State Judiciaries to their Heads of
Courts.

It is surprising that just like his brother Governors, Chief
Akeredolu is yet to comply by paying the amount standing to the
credit of Ondo State Judiciary to the Chief Judge of Ondo State or
demonstrate any commitment thereat.

Politics or no politics, Chief Akeredolu, SAN is a
representative of the Bar in government given that he is akin to a
General in the law profession having attained the pinnacle of the
profession in several ramifications. He cannot afford to let the
profession and the Nigerian society down at this moment by
distancing himself from the noble struggle to liberate the Nigerian
Judiciary.

History will never forget the actions and inactions of those who
have what it takes to make a positive change, especially a change
they had once desired others to make.

Chief Akeredolu is urged to today act and act rightly by
demonstrating leadership on this matter as he has done in the
Amotekun and Open Grazing prohibition matters.

Written By Vincent Adodo, Esq. Legal Practitioner.

By Vincent Adodo, Esq.

Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN would appear to have warmed himself
into the hearts of many a Nigerian, especially those of southern
Nigerian extraction. His recent shot into national political
limelight stems from his unwavering radical stance on issues of
insecurity pervading the country, even when his views would appear
to pitch him against ‘the Presidency.’

Akeredolu proved his mettle as Chairman of South West Governors
Forum when he rebuffed an attempt by the Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN to dismiss
as unconstitutional and illegal the initiative of the South West
Governors Forum to float Amotekun, the South Western Security
Network initiated by Governors of the South West to tackle headlong
the menace of insecurity that had threatened the peace of the
region.

Akeredolu SAN’s brother Governors must have identified his
sterling quality of musterring gutts for dissents -not giving a
hoot whose ox is gored- when they annointed him to do the hatchet
job at Asaba. Chief Akeredolu, it would appear, was a deliberate
choice by the Southern Governors to lead them in belling the cat,
as it was crystal clear that most of the issues forming the crux of
the Asaba declaration were matters that would ruffle feathers in
Aso rock.

So far, Akeredolu has not disappointed, his brother Southern
Governors and the people of Southern Nigeria appear to be happy
with him. This however does not translate to a state of Uhuru when
his performance as the Chief Executive of Ondo is to be
assessed.

While Aketi (Chief Akeredolu’s political baptismal name) would
appear to be demonstrating leadeship as earlier alluded, a lot more
of his patriotism and energy are missing where they are darely
required at the moment.

As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a former President of the
Nigerian Bar Association and a life member of the Body of Benchers,
Chief Akeredolu SAN stands in a vantage position to nudge on his
brother Governors to embrace and implement financial autonomy for
the Judiciary in their states as provided by the Constitution. If
he wills, Chief Akeredolu posseses the clouth to make things
happen, at least among Governors of States of the South West.

It cannot be gainsaid that the Judiciary in Nigeria is at the
moment a shadow of itself, having over the years been starved of
funds and reduced to a beggarly condition. At the sight of the
timid state of what the third estate of the realm in Nigeria had
become, Oputa, Eso, Jinadu, Aniagolu, Obaseki and many of their
ilks would bite their fingers in regret in their graves.

It is a truism that the Bench cannot speak for itself for their
Lordships are only to be seen and not to be heard, thus
traditionally, the Bar speaks for the Bench! This is the agelong
tradition of the legal profession which tradition is collateral to
the symbiotic relationship between the Bar and the Bench. Chief
Akeredolu at the moment is the most senior member of the Bar in the
ranks of the Nigerian Governors Forum and he ought to and be seen
to be promoting the rule of law which the Nigerian Bar stands for.
As a senior lawyer and a former helmsman of the Bar, Chief
Akeredolu passes for the status of a General in an Army.

An independent Judiciary is a sine qua non to the rule of law
and Chief Akeredolu, SAN knows this. As President of the NBA, he
championed the course for an independent Judiciary. One remembers
how vociferous he was in condemning the Katsina-Alu/Salami saga
which escalated from the wranglings between the then Chief Justice
of Nigeria- Late Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, GCON and the
then President of the Court of Appeal- Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami,
OFR over the attempted disbandment of the panel sitting on the
Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition in 2011 to satisfy
certain political interests.The rest of this incident is
history.

Despite that Chief Akeredolu now as a Governor has all it takes
to walk his talk by demonstrating leadership in the promotion of
the rule of law through ensuring that the judiciary is financially
independent, it is however surprising that Chief Akeredolu has been
missing in action since the current  agitation for judicial
autonomy started in April 2021 with the JUSUN stike.

At the moment, the Nigerian Governors Forum has reached an
agreement with JUSUN on their demands for financial Independence
for the Judiciary- a development which stakeholders had hoped would
see an end to the industrial action by JUSUN, the MoU is still
lying on the ground waiting for the NGF’s signature. To be sure
that the NGF is not taking it for a jolly ride, JUSUN had insisted
that the stike would continue unless the accounts of the Heads of
Courts are credited directly with funds standing to the credit of
the Judiciary in all the States affected.

Now, the States have received their monthly allocations from the
Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the month of
April 2021 but none of the Governors have shown commitment to
comply with their agreement with JUSUN by paying the amount
standing to the credit of the State Judiciaries to their Heads of
Courts.

It is surprising that just like his brother Governors, Chief
Akeredolu is yet to comply by paying the amount standing to the
credit of Ondo State Judiciary to the Chief Judge of Ondo State or
demonstrate any commitment thereat.

Politics or no politics, Chief Akeredolu, SAN is a
representative of the Bar in government given that he is akin to a
General in the law profession having attained the pinnacle of the
profession in several ramifications. He cannot afford to let the
profession and the Nigerian society down at this moment by
distancing himself from the noble struggle to liberate the Nigerian
Judiciary.

History will never forget the actions and inactions of those who
have what it takes to make a positive change, especially a change
they had once desired others to make.

Chief Akeredolu is urged to today act and act rightly by
demonstrating leadership on this matter as he has done in the
Amotekun and Open Grazing prohibition matters.

Written By Vincent Adodo, Esq. Legal Practitioner.