Expand judiciary to fight graft – Envoy

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador George Adesola Oguntade has advised the Federal Government to expand the judiciary to facilitate its fight against corruption.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust in London at the weekend, Ambassador Oguntade also suggested that corrupt judges should be sacked instead of conducting “humiliating” searches on them.

“It could well be true that there are corrupt judges. Nobody is averse to arresting and charging them before the court. But I do not think that it helps when you humiliate them and the judiciary.

“Parading them as crooks, as ordinary criminals in court would not help the judiciary, because by doing so, you are weakening the judiciary”, he said, stressing that such measure would be counterproductive as people would think little of the judiciary.

He suggested thorough investigation and monitoring of the manner judges face their work and if they are found to be dishonest or corrupt, “the better way is to ease them out.”

Ambassador Oguntade, also spoke against the introduction of special courts to handle corruption cases, saying the judicial department should be expanded to bring in more judges and make service on the bench easier for judges by providing security and a good working environment for them.