Belgore: Judiciary tainted by corruption
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria Salihu Modibbo Alfa Belgore yesterday came down hard on his constituency, the Nigerian judiciary, which he said is tainted by corruption.
In remarks he made after presenting his speech as chairman of the 11th Annual Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja, the retired jurist said the screening process for judges was faulty and many who should not be there are becoming judges.
“The problem in the country is corruption and the corruption has permeated every society,” he said.
“The problem with the judiciary is very simple. When I was appointed a judge the whole country has less than forty-two judges; some states have got more than that now.
“What is happening is simply that those being considered as judges are not being well screened. Corruption has gone even into the screening. The result is that some of them are not working hard. They are those that don’t write up to five judgments in a year but will collect their salaries.
“Some of the Chief Judges in the states will keep up following the governors about; the governors will be opening a clinic in a village, and you read in the newspapers ‘accompanied by the Chief Judge.’ This shouldn’t be happening.
“Some of them don’t sit at all; they say they are presiding over judicial service committee of the state as if to say that’s a full time job. Some changes must be made.”
Belgore went back memory lane, saying: “In the beginning when the states were being created, I was a Chief Judge in one of the States Benue-Plateau and I advised because I didn’t want to be CJ, I advised that five to six states should have a common judiciary so that we have the best judges but what is happening now is that those people that should be against it, the NBA, hasn’t done anything.
“And what is happening is simply that people who will not be recognised as lawyers at all are now made Senior Advocate of Nigeria because they could lobby for it. And they are getting it. It is a disaster.
“If care is not taken we are going to have more problems in justice administration. If some politicians are misbehaving, it is not a duty; it is not expected even of judiciary also to be misbehaving. But that is what we facing.
“Some judges are misbehaving. They are not sitting, they are corrupt and they are giving the whole country not judiciary alone, the whole country a very bad name. But I believe there will be solution. Those people will be changing the constitution.”
He added: “But this country as I have said is very rich, there is hardly a state without mineral that is resources, we are very educated; we can progress if we don’t rush our sudden wealth. God bless Nigeria. Long Live Nigeria.”
Belgore spoke a day after former President of the Court of Appeal Justice Isa Ayo Salami also said dishonourable people are rising to the top of the legal profession.