‘Judiciary is the least corrupt compared with other arms of govt’

A constitutional lawyer and Notary public, Leonard Anyogu, has said the judicial arm of government is not as corrupt as the executive and legislature.

He said there are many disciplinary bodies that constantly subject judiciary officers to checks and discipline, and these have made lawyers to be wary of falling foul of the rules.

The Cross River-born law practitioner, who stated this in a chat with Daily Trust in Calabar, Cross River State, added that it was very difficult in the law profession to bribe one’s way through to the highest echelon.

“The judiciary as an arm of government is the least corrupt. There are many disciplinary bodies which make the profession selfcleaning, so that lawyers and judges are constantly under watch,” he said.

The same strict checking has been extended to products of Nigerian Law School, making them to stand out wherever they practice.

“The 3,000 products of Nigerian Law Schools churned out every year can stand the integrity tests anywhere they find themselves. This is because of the strict checks they are subjected to by different judiciary bodies,” he said.

Although he accepted that there are some bad eggs in the profession as in others, yet they were being watched.

He however advocated for the reformation of the judiciary to serve the modern times, saying it has come of age.

While calling for citizen participation in law making and execution, Anyogu appealed to the Federal Government to give Cross River State special status in view of its many challenges, saying aside the least federal allocation it receives every month, the state is now playing host to nearly 30,000 refugees from neighbouring Cameroon.