…says ‘Tanko Muhammad’s resignation won’t stop investigation’
Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters was on Tuesday given a fresh order to probe the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, over the corruption allegations levelled against him 14 justices of the Supreme Court.
The apex court’s 14 Justices had recently levelled allegations of corruption against Tanko, but the ex-CJN denied all the allegations.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had last week mandated the Committee under the chairmanship of Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to probe the allegations levelled against Justice Tanko Muhammad and the crisis rocking the judiciary over the matter.
The Senate President said, “The Chamber mandates the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to go ahead with its assignment in the quest to find a lasting solution to the matter by interacting with relevant stakeholders to address the complaints raised in the petition by the Justices of the Supreme Court.
He added that the Senate “Mandate the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to interface with the relevant stakeholders in the three Arms of Government as well as at the Bar and on the Bench to collate aggregate views and positions on the short term, medium term and long term measures needed to decisively address the crisis facing the Judiciary, including the immediate fiscal intervention as well as long term and sustainable budgetary allocations, required for the optimal performance of the Judiciary, in line with global best practices; and urge the Senate to wish the Hon. Chief Justice well, following many years of meritorious service to the nation and to pray for his good health.”
The lawmakers noted that on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Lawan called the attention of the Senate to media reports on the state of affairs in the Supreme Court of Nigeria, whereby Justices of the Court, through a petition signed by majority of them, raised issues bothering on deplorable welfare conditions and difficult working environment for the Justices, which was addressed to the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council.
He also noted that the President of the Senate emphasised the need for the Senate to urgently step into the matter as any issue that concerns the Judiciary is an issue of urgent national importance that the Senate could not fold its arms and watch the situation get out of hand.
The Senate President, therefore, accordingly directed the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to get involved in the matter with a view to getting to the roots of the recent development in the Judiciary and determining how best the Senate can intervene to address the issues raised by the aggrieved apex court’s Justices.
He said Justices could be taciturn and reticent in handling issues outside their judicial domain, adding that resorting to such measures in order to protect the Judiciary required the Senate to rise to the occasion to effectively address their grievances.
The Senate committee Chairman, Senator Bamidele assured that his team had already begun to take steps to investigate the matter as directed by the Senate President having put in place arrangements for interfacing with relevant stakeholders both at the Bar and on the Bench.
Senator Bamidele said, “The poor welfare of Judicial Officers would affect the delivery of the judiciary in respect of their output and will prevent them from performing optimally.
“The sacred image of the Judiciary, which is the epicentre of the temple of justice should be preserved by the Senate through appropriate legislative measures in order to safeguard this highly revered institution and prevent it from being ridiculed.”
He expressed regret that the ex-CJN, Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, voluntarily resigned his appointment on grounds of ill-health, a development which left the most senior Justice to step into office as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
But the Senate committee chairman said the development would not prevent his tea from carrying out its assignment in order to find a lasting solution to the matter.
Bamidele said, “Though Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed has stepped down as CJN, most of the issues raised by the Justices of the Supreme Court and other stakeholders within the Judiciary, still remain and need to be addressed urgently to prevent an eventual shutdown of the Judiciary.”