•Lawyers should show concern, says Okutepa

Forty days after 11 Justices were screened and confirmed by the Senate following their nomination for promotion to the Supreme Court, the justices are yet to be sworn in.

Their nomination was made to avoid violating the provision of the Constitution that stipulates 21 justices for the apex court.

Before the nomination and subsequent clearance, there were only 10 Justices at the Supreme Court, a figure far below the statutory requirement by the Constitution.

The appointment was also necessary as one of the crucial measures to reduce to number of cases awaiting attention at the apex court in the country.

However, over a month after the appointment of the justices was confirmed by the red chambers, no reason could be given for the delay in their swearing-in.

Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council (NJC), in a bid to douse speculations that the inauguration was scheduled for January 16, came out openly to declare that no date has been fixed for the swearing-in of the newly appointed 11 Justices of the Supreme Court.

The statement, issued then by the Director of Information, NJC, Soji Oye, held that the date for the exercise would be made public at the appropriate time.

NJC had recommended the 11 justices after receiving a list of 22 nominees to fill the vacant positions at the Supreme Court.

The recommended Justices include: Haruna Tsammani, Moore Adumein, Jummai Sankey, Chidiebere Uwa and Chioma Nwosu-Iheme.

Others are: Obande Ogbuinya, Stephen Adah, Habeeb Abiru, JJamilu Tukur, Abubakar Umar and Mohammed Idris.

Reacting to the seeming apathy over a matter that required immediate attention, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Jibrin Okutepa, accused the executive arm of the government of deriving joy in understaffing the judiciary.

The SAN also alleged that the government has serially breached the constitution as far as the complement of the Supreme Court is concerned.

He said: You should ask the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria about the reason for the delay.

“Even though I am worried about the situation, what have my worries got to do with it? Do I have the power to swear them in?

“These are aspects I have expected our professional body to be at the vanguard of it. We have serially been breaching the Nigerian Constitution as far as the complement of the Supreme Court is concerned. (The Guardian)

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