On Friday, August 23, 2024, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, took the oath of office as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), following the retirement of former CJN, Kayode Ariwoola, upon the attainment of 70 years of age. By her appointment, she becomes the 23rd Chief Justice of Nigeria and the second female to hold the position. She will be in acting position pending confirmation of her appointment by the National Assembly.

At the ceremony, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu urged the acting CJN to defend the independence of the judiciary and promote the cause of justice.

The president also emphasised the importance of strengthening mechanisms that will uphold and enhance integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judiciary.

He said: “Undoubtedly, the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria comes with enormous responsibilities as the head of all judicial institutions in the country. It is a position of considerable influence that demands temperance and sobriety.

“The occupant of the office must exude the highest level of integrity in the discharge of their duties. This is more so because of the finality of the Supreme Court’s judgments”, he said.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, Justice Kekere-Ekun vowed to sustain Nigerians’ confidence in the judicial system. She also pledged to elevate the judiciary to new heights and improve its reputation.

She said: “We will make sure that people have more confidence in the judiciary, and I believe that it is not a one-man’s job. We all have to be on board because we all see the areas that are in need of improvement. I believe that there will be maximum cooperation because we all want to see a better judiciary”.

Also speaking, a former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Nile University, Abuja, Professor Abdullahi Shehu Zuru, charged the CJN to meet the expectations of the citizens by investing energy in repositioning the judiciary to meet the expectations of what he called the increasingly exasperated Nigerians about cost, delays and integrity of justice.

“I am optimistic that the new leadership has what it takes to revamp the fortune of the judiciary through vigorous and consistent reengineering of the internal ageing and defaulting structures,” he said.

We congratulate the CJN on her appointment, not just as the number one law officer of the land, but also as the second woman to hold this prestigious position. And we wish her well as she takes on the onerous task of steering the judiciary and taking it to greater heights.

Indeed, the past few years have not been the best for the judiciary; from its internal squabbles to the general perception of this arm by the Nigerian public. It would be recalled that the last two Chief Justices before Justice Kayode Ariwoola, Walter Onnoghen and Tanko Muhammed, could not complete their terms for various reasons. Also, there have been concerns about the behaviours of some legal officers and even judges. The issue of conflicting judgements have continued unabated, rocking the polity and causing confusion in some instances, the latest being the judgements in the emirship tussle in Kano State.

So, while we note the task before the new CJN, we must point out that she is coming in at a time when members of the judiciary just received a boost to their welfare, following the approval of a 300 per cent salary increment. It, therefore, means that wielding the big stick should be easier. There are no more excuses for any form of compromise; not that the inadequate or poor salary was ever a justification, but now, severe actions can be taken against the bad eggs within the system.

Justice Kekere-Ekun must hit the ground running. There is a serious need to improve upon the image of the third arm of government. She must rebuild the confidence of the people in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man. Examples must be set with the bag eggs in the system. The recruitment of judges must be reviewed to ensure that only people deserving of that position, both in competence and character are elevated. The issue of people rotting in prison for several years without accessing justice, a development which leads to overcrowding of our custodial centres, must also be looked into. More lawyers should be recruited and they should be made to perform their duties as required of them.

It is a good thing that the new CJN has some time on her hands, as she will be in the position for at least four years, enough time to make some impact. It must be noted that most of the past CJNs took note of the issues bedeviling the judiciary when they took the oath of office as Justice Kekere-Ekun did, but not a lot has changed. She must ensure that change occurs during her tenure. She should use this time to right the wrongs associated with the judiciary and write her name in gold. Justice Kekere Ekun must view this appointment as a unique opportunity to change the narrative around the judiciary in such a way that she will be remembered for years to come. In all, she should be guided by her conscience. Daily Trust wishes her a successful tenure. (Daily Trust Editorial)

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