Disobedience of court order is corruption – Former CJ

The Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi (rtd) and a former Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, has said that the refusal to obey court order is another form of corruption.

The monarch, who was the keynote speaker at the Barewa Old Boys Association annual lecture, which held recently at the Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, Sokoto, spoke on the topic, ‘The Challenges of the Judiciary to Democracy: The Nigeria Perspective’.

Gummi said government must exemplify the change it promised before expecting citizens to follow suit, adding that any democracy in which the executive attempts to intimidate the judiciary or the National Assembly demands pecuniary benefits to pass law is endangered.

He said disrespect for the rule of law, bad governance, disobedience to court orders, non-compliance with electoral regulations by political parties, godfathers hijacking the electoral process and dwindling confidence in the justice system posed threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

Gummi described the judiciary as the watchdog of democracy, without which “reckless marauders will attack the society,” adding that an insecure judiciary is one of the greatest threats to democracy.

He said, “Orders of court are disobeyed at will in the name of fighting corruption. No one institution, no matter how highly placed, should flout the laws of the land, not even under the guise of fighting corruption. Refusing to obey an order of court is another form of corruption in itself.

“The executive cannot play the role of both the accuser and that of the judge at the same time. It is an aberration in a democracy. National security cannot take precedence over the rule of law; rather, it should be guided by the rule of law.

The 97-year old college, located in Kaduna State, is reputed for producing five out of Nigeria’s past leaders, including General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, late Umaru Yar’adua, late Gen. Murtala Mohammed and the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

It has also produced three Chief Justices of Nigeria, three Inspectors-General of Police and four Secretaries to the Government of the Federation.