His appointment is a revenge of justice
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen couldn’t have made a better choice than retired Justice Ayo Salami, as chairman of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Trial Monitoring Committee. The 15-member committee approved by the National Judicial Council (NJC) was set up to monitor, as the name implies, the conduct of trial and appellate courts handling corruption and financial crime cases. Considering the lethargy of our courts in handling critical corruption and financial crime cases, the committee couldn’t have come at a better time.
Other members of the committee include the current President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), former NBA Presidents, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), and Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN). Others are Chief Judges of Borno State, Justice Kashim Zannah, Imo State, Justice P. O. Nnadi, Delta State, Justice Marshal Umukoro, and Oyo State, Justice M. L. Abimbola. There is also Dr. Garba Tentengi (SAN), Mrs R. I. Inga and secretary of the committee, Gambo Saleh.
According to the spokesman of the NJC: “The committee is expected to drive the council’s new policy on anti-corruption war.” He listed the primary functions of the committee to include: “regular monitoring and evaluation of proceedings at designated courts for financial and economic crimes nationwide; advising the Chief Justice of Nigeria on how to eliminate delays in the trial of alleged corruption cases, giving feedback to the council on progress of cases in the designated courts, conduct background checks on judges selected for the designated courts, and evaluating the performance of the designated courts.”
In choosing Justice Salami to lead the panel, the CJN made the right choice, and we commend him. As a renowned jurist, Justice Salami rose to the position of President, Court of Appeal, and in the annals of judicial activism, particularly over election petitions, he no doubt occupies a pride of place. That accolade is regardless of the shenanigans of his detractors, in the twilight of his career, led by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who allegedly sought to impose on him judgments to deliver, and where that failed, tried to corral him to the Supreme Court.
In fact his travails in the hands of his colleagues who turned against him, put him in a position to appreciate the evil effect of corruption, in his instance, political corruption. Browbeaten, abused and humiliated, Justice Salami will appreciate what it feels like to be a victim. We recall that despite the outpouring of condemnation of the way Justice Salami was treated, former President Goodluck Jonathan felt it was expedient, to rub the face of the jurist in the dust.
So, having been up in the sky and later down in the dust, we expect that Justice Salami will lead the committee to push the judges at the trial and appellate courts to apply justice and equity with equal vigour, as the need arises, to deal ruthlessly with corruption cases. There is no doubt that corruption has brought our country to its knees, and unless urgent measures are taken by the courts to redeem the situation, we agree with President Muhammadu Buhari’s warning that corruption may kill the country.
In dealing with this national assignment, every member of the committee should give it his or her best. Any of them who has the challenge “of apparent and potential conflicts between the work of the committee and (his or her) private practice”; as raised by The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in a petition to the CJN, about the suitability of some members, should not wait to be compelled to throw in the towel. The person should quietly resign so that he or she can face squarely the job of defending those accused of corruption, and not mix it up with the job of pushing for their accelerated prosecution by the courts.
With the enforcement of the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and an honest and determined judiciary, the shame of unending criminal trials in our country will end. Not long ago, we commended the CJN when he promised at the commencement of 2017 legal year, and the swearing in of 29 Senior Advocates of Nigeria, that : “it is not going to be business as usual for the few unscrupulous elements in our midst. I am determined to redeem the unfairly battered image of the judiciary. Any judicial officer found wanting would be dealt with decisively, and shown the way out swiftly.”
The Salami committee must know that Nigerians look forward to an efficient judiciary, devoted to meting out justice to all, regardless of class or standing in the society. They want a judicial process comparable to best international best practice.
