ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun will be sworn-in today as the second female Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) following the retirement of her predecessor, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who bowed out upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 years.
Justice Kekere-Ekun assumes her role at a time when the Nigerian judiciary is ranked as the most corrupt institution in the country.
According to a recent 160-page report titled, “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” based on a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Nigeria’s public officials received N721 billion in cash bribes in 2023, with Nigerian judges topping the list of bribe recipients.
Giving that she is inheriting a judiciary that has lost people’s confidence through its battered image, stakeholders in the third arm of government said she must have to initiate reforms that would redeem and restore the glory of the nation’s judiciary within the first six months of assuming office.
A constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ahamba, described Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as a no-nonsense judicial officer, while congratulating her for attaining the peak of her legal career.
“I congratulate Justice Ariwoola on the successful completion of his tenure. With his retirement, Justice Kekere-Ekun will come in. We know her as a no-nonsense judge. I mean, she doesn’t allow any nonsensical thing to happen where she is involved.”
He expressed confidence that the complaints against the judiciary, if they come to her knowledge, she would not ignore them. “That is what I expect from her. We hope she will keep to that when she becomes the Chief Justice,” he said.
In settling agenda for the new CJN, he said: “A lot is expected of Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun. She should know that. Specifically, she should look into all these stories about corruption in the judiciary and firmly move against it. It is soiling everybody, including herself, lawyers, judges and justices. They are all affected by all these rumours.
“We expect that she should be in a position, by her pedigree, to stand up firmly against it and to ensure that if it rears its ugly head during her tenure, she should deal with it without any restraint. I want to say that three or four retired justices on their retirement made statements that there was corruption in the judiciary.
“Let those who succeed them now do something about what their predecessors have said. I don’t know what Justice Ariwoola would say on his retirement day.
“But those before him had always said there was corruption and that allegation has continued. I am not defending or accepting it. But I know that the allegation has persisted.
“We are looking for somebody who will stand up and see whether we can stop it because it is embarrassing to all of us. Let me tell you this, two or three litigants, lately, wanted to brief me to go to the Supreme Court.
“It was very embarrassing when they separately asked me whether I had access to the justices. It has happened twice. I told them sorry, I have access to the court but not to the justices. I didn’t get the briefs.”
The incumbent Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, said: “I’m not particularly close to Justice Kekere-Ekun. But from my little experience, or knowledge of the way I see her, she is a disciplinarian. She is disciplined in every respect. She has a very respectable husband and a very solid home. She is not frivolous in any way. She is apolitical. In other words, she is not a politician.
“She is free of political encumbrance or baggage. Because, she is free of that political garbage, she is going to be very professional. I can assure you, she will be very professional. She will be a disciplined Chief Justice of Nigeria and she will uphold the integrity and honour of the court and the judiciary as a whole. Nobody should take her for granted at all.
“My advice is that, My Lord, Hon Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun should please, within the court, outside the court, uphold the integrity, the honour and all that it takes to have a credible judiciary.”
In his contribution, the incumbent Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ondo State, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, said: “Justice Kudirat Motomori Kekere-Ekun is a highly respected jurist with over 30 years of experience in the Nigerian judiciary. She is known for her legal acumen, fairness, forthrightness, and fortitude.”
Ajulo would want the new CJN to prioritise a holistic agenda of judicial reforms, addressing the systemic challenges of inadequate funding, infrastructure deficits, and case backlogs.
“To steadfastly work towards enhancing public trust and confidence in the judiciary through unwavering transparency, unimpeachable accountability, and the most steadfast fairness in all judicial proceedings.
“To foster a spirit of collaborative synergy between the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive, thereby resolving any tensions and safeguarding the independence of the courts.
“To invest diligently in the capacity-building of judges and court staff, while leveraging technological innovations to improve efficiency and widen access to justice.
“Specifically, she should return the Supreme Court to its golden era, when Justices such as Anthony Aniagolu, Kayode Eso, Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, Andrews Otutu Obaseki, Augustine Nnamani, and others brought their intellectual versatility and philosophical clarity to bear in their respective judgments to uphold substantial justice.
“Our democratisation experiment will fail if the judiciary, a vital third arm of government, is compromised. Therefore, the judiciary must protect its independence and impartiality with utmost care. It should be insulated from partisan politics, and political office holders must refrain from interfering with the judiciary’s work,” he said.
For Kunle Adegoke, SAN, the newly appointed CJN, Justice Kekere-Ekun should reform the judiciary to restore public trust.
Adegoke emphasised the need for significant reforms to restore public trust in the Nigerian judiciary, which he believes has suffered due to the misconduct of a few judges.
He called on Justice Kekere-Ekun to adopt a firm stance on judicial discipline.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council, under the Chief Justice’s leadership, must implement stringent disciplinary measures, including prosecution for criminal acts to address judicial misconduct effectively.
Regarding judicial appointments, Adegoke highlighted the importance of merit and integrity. He criticised past appointments where individuals of questionable characters were elevated to the Bench. He proposed that public reviews of potential judicial appointments, similar to the process for Senior Advocate of Nigeria designations, be introduced to ensure greater scrutiny and transparency.
He also urged that judicial appointments and elevations be based strictly on merit rather than personal connections or past favours. According to Adegoke, while many judges are competent and honourable, some have questionable qualifications, which undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
He also mentioned the recent 300 percent increase in judicial officers’ remuneration, expressing hope that it would diminish financial temptations for judges. He stressed that maintaining economic integrity was crucial for the judiciary’s credibility.
Adegoke urged the new CJN to ensure the enforcement of court judgments. He pointed out that many government institutions often ignore court orders, which undermines the authority of the judiciary. He called for a strict approach to enforcing judgments to uphold the judiciary’s role as a pillar of justice in society.
Overall, Adegoke’s expectations underscore the need for reform and accountability within the Nigerian judiciary to restore public trust and ensure fair administration of justice.
Other stakeholders urged the new CJN to do everything possible within her authority and capacity to restore the integrity and honour of the country’s judiciary. They want her to address official corruption and moral degeneracy within the Bench.
