Senate tasks new CJN on courts reforms 

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has tasked the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to champion reforms that will enhance the quick dispensation of justice in the country. 

He also insisted that the National Assembly is not a rubber stamp, noting that part of their duty is to take action that will stabilize the polity for the good of the nation.

Akpabio spoke on Monday while briefing State House Correspondents, shortly after the swearing-in of Kekere-Ekun at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Senate President noted that a situation whereby courts deliver different judgement on the same issue was worrisome, expressing the belief that the new CJN has what it takes to turn things around.

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Akpabio urged the CJN should work with other arms of government to ensure the stability of the polity and to make sure that “decisions particularly at the lower level at the Court of Appeal of different divisions do not come out with different decisions on the same subject matter. That is worrisome.

“So, we should be able to predict. Whenever there is a superior court decision, the lower ones should naturally adhere to those decisions. Those are the kind of things we expect, we want her to also bring improvement in terms of prison decongestion and awaiting trial, they should speed up the will of Justice. They are too many people awaiting justice particularly in land matters.

“Also you will see people being sent to prison for seven, eight years and then at the end being sentenced to two years in prison, what happens to the additional five years they spent. So she still has to bring reforms to the judiciary and the National Assembly is very poised to support the judiciary in that regard.”

Akpabio said the Senate had no issue in confirming the new CJN.

He said: “Even though the President commended the National Assembly, it is our job to ensure that we take action that will stabilize the polity. We are not a rubber stamp We make sure we take action that will stabilise the polity.

“In every respect she’s highly qualified and already she was sworn in as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and if you look at the progression and their succession in the Supreme Court, she’s in the right position and is not that we jumped into that conclusion

“If you look at the her pedigree, she’s of very high moral standard, very incorruptible, right from when she was a Magistrate and as a judge in Lagos. So, I know her pedigree.”