JS Okutepa SAN. Congratulates Justice Baba-Yusuf, Urges Him To Expose Corrupt Lawyers

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Jubrin Okutepa, has charged the
new acting Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Justice Hussein
Baba-Yusuf, to expose lawyers who engage in bribing and lobbying
judges and other judicial officers to obtain a favorable
judgement.

This was contained in his congratulatory message to the
Honorable Justice on his elevation as the new Chief Judge of FCT
judiciary.

The statement reads;

My Lord,

CONGRATULATIONS

On behalf of myself, my family and law firm, I congratulate
your lordship on your appointment and swearing in as the Hon. Ag.
Chief Judge of the FCT Judiciary.

My lord your appointment by the President and commander in
Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the
Ag. Chief Judge of FCT and the subsequent swearing on the 16th day
of August 2021 by the Hon. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, did not
come to me and any right-thinking Nigerian as a surprise.
My Lord I rejoice with you and your family over this
well-deserved appointment and your subsequent assumption of office.
There is no doubt my lord that you have distinguished yourself both
at the Bar and on the Bench. The undeniable facts testify to your
records as a jurist of impeccable record of great industry and
credit. The testimony of this is shown in your appointment and
subsequent swearing in as the Hon the Ag. Chief Judge of FCT. Your
lordship’s appointment as the Hon the Ag. Chief Judge of FCT is a
demonstration of the implicit confidence reposed in your
lordship.

My lord there is no doubt that as the Hon. CJ of FCT, a lot
of us within and outside the legal circle will be looking unto you
to build a robust judiciary that does not only deliver judgments
promptly and on time, but that judiciary that delivers justice in
judgments. Your lordship may need to look at enforcement of
judgments and orders which have become so difficult in
Nigeria.

There is equally no doubt that our judges and judicial
officers are exposed to many temptations. My lord, as you assume
the mantle of leadership as number one judicial officer of FCT, you
must do something about the exposure of our judicial officers to
the manipulations of political influences. I plead with you to
build the FCT Judiciary in the most robust and sound driven manner
with uncompromising integrity. Your lordship can do it and you will
do it. Our judges and judicial officers must be given enforceable
code of conduct that insulates them from social pollutions and
manipulations. My lord, as you take over, you need to look into the
conduct of some judicial officers who do not sit on time, and who
most often abandoned their duty posts for social
functions.

I urge your lordship to go for collaboration between the
leadership of the Bar and the Bench. In this vein a meeting of Bar
and Bench on quarterly basis may not be out of place where internal
issues can be robustly discussed and tackled. My lord I further
urge your lordship to take the issue of enforcement of judgments
seriously. I urge your lordship to make a case for standing police
in the Sheriff Departments of our Courts. These police men are to
take directions only from the Chief Registrar of FCT High
Court.

The code of conduct in the legal profession must be enforced
strictly against lawyers who attempt to pollute the stream of
justice. Lawyers who lobby judicial officers and judges for favour
in judgement and other judicial favour must be exposed and reported
to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Body of
Benchers.

My lord you have a date with history and I know just as you
do that where both of us come from, we value hard work,
commitments, discipline and dedication to duty. I know you will not
fail in this assignment. I know we set standards for others to
follow. I know that your lordship will set standards never set
before in FCT judiciary in this well-deserved appointment. I wish
your lordship grace, wisdom and knowledge to lead in the fear of
God and navigate the affairs of FCT Judiciary to an enviable height
never attained before.

Once again, my lord, congratulations.
Yours Faithfully,
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN
J.S.Okutepa SAN and Company.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Jubrin Okutepa, has charged the
new acting Chief Judge of FCT High Court, Justice Hussein
Baba-Yusuf, to expose lawyers who engage in bribing and lobbying
judges and other judicial officers to obtain a favorable
judgement.

This was contained in his congratulatory message to the
Honorable Justice on his elevation as the new Chief Judge of FCT
judiciary.

The statement reads;

My Lord,

CONGRATULATIONS

On behalf of myself, my family and law firm, I congratulate
your lordship on your appointment and swearing in as the Hon. Ag.
Chief Judge of the FCT Judiciary.

My lord your appointment by the President and commander in
Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the
Ag. Chief Judge of FCT and the subsequent swearing on the 16th day
of August 2021 by the Hon. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, did not
come to me and any right-thinking Nigerian as a surprise.
My Lord I rejoice with you and your family over this
well-deserved appointment and your subsequent assumption of office.
There is no doubt my lord that you have distinguished yourself both
at the Bar and on the Bench. The undeniable facts testify to your
records as a jurist of impeccable record of great industry and
credit. The testimony of this is shown in your appointment and
subsequent swearing in as the Hon the Ag. Chief Judge of FCT. Your
lordship’s appointment as the Hon the Ag. Chief Judge of FCT is a
demonstration of the implicit confidence reposed in your
lordship.

My lord there is no doubt that as the Hon. CJ of FCT, a lot
of us within and outside the legal circle will be looking unto you
to build a robust judiciary that does not only deliver judgments
promptly and on time, but that judiciary that delivers justice in
judgments. Your lordship may need to look at enforcement of
judgments and orders which have become so difficult in
Nigeria.

There is equally no doubt that our judges and judicial
officers are exposed to many temptations. My lord, as you assume
the mantle of leadership as number one judicial officer of FCT, you
must do something about the exposure of our judicial officers to
the manipulations of political influences. I plead with you to
build the FCT Judiciary in the most robust and sound driven manner
with uncompromising integrity. Your lordship can do it and you will
do it. Our judges and judicial officers must be given enforceable
code of conduct that insulates them from social pollutions and
manipulations. My lord, as you take over, you need to look into the
conduct of some judicial officers who do not sit on time, and who
most often abandoned their duty posts for social
functions.

I urge your lordship to go for collaboration between the
leadership of the Bar and the Bench. In this vein a meeting of Bar
and Bench on quarterly basis may not be out of place where internal
issues can be robustly discussed and tackled. My lord I further
urge your lordship to take the issue of enforcement of judgments
seriously. I urge your lordship to make a case for standing police
in the Sheriff Departments of our Courts. These police men are to
take directions only from the Chief Registrar of FCT High
Court.

The code of conduct in the legal profession must be enforced
strictly against lawyers who attempt to pollute the stream of
justice. Lawyers who lobby judicial officers and judges for favour
in judgement and other judicial favour must be exposed and reported
to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee of the Body of
Benchers.

My lord you have a date with history and I know just as you
do that where both of us come from, we value hard work,
commitments, discipline and dedication to duty. I know you will not
fail in this assignment. I know we set standards for others to
follow. I know that your lordship will set standards never set
before in FCT judiciary in this well-deserved appointment. I wish
your lordship grace, wisdom and knowledge to lead in the fear of
God and navigate the affairs of FCT Judiciary to an enviable height
never attained before.

Once again, my lord, congratulations.
Yours Faithfully,
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN
J.S.Okutepa SAN and Company.