We’re not against your anti-graft war, NBA tells Buhari
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) says it is not against the anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Augustine Alegeh, president of the association, said this at a valedictory court session in honour of Muhammad Muntaka-Coomassie, a supreme court judge who bowed out of the apex court bench after clocking the 70 years mandatory retirement age.
Alegeh condemned the “generalisation and/or categorisation” of the judiciary as corrupt and a stumbling block to the current administration in its fight against corruption.
“The NBA condemns in its entirety the generalisation and/or categorization of the Judiciary as being corrupt and an impediment to the zero corruption policy of the present administration,” he said.
“The NBA does not condone corruption; our point is that the war can be conducted within the ambit of the law and civility. Certainly, it can be won without breaching the principles of rule of law upon which our democracy is built.”
He acknowledged that there were “few bad eggs in the system”, and warned members of the judiciary to avoid capable of soiling the image of the profession.
In recent times, the president has complained about the judiciary as stumbling block of sorts in his anti-corruption crusade.
Last week when he visited the United kingdom, Buhari granted an interview to Daily Telegraph, where he said: “Sometimes legal processes are too slow for my liking.”
This NBA is completely sick, this comment is like fooling themselves while thinking they are fooling others. NBA and Buhari who should be the one to complain about being a stumbling block? The way the judiciary has carried out their duties in Nigeria since Buhari’s administration is disgraceful because they allowed Buhari to control the court activities. The judge’s decision surpasses all other decisions as far as the court is concerned. If the court granted bail to a suspect, the order is followed accordingly. But since Buhari’s administration it is one violation of court order to another. So the NBA haven’t seen incivility in the activities of the court since Buhari’s administration. I wonder why their comment ended with fighting corruption and silent over contempt of court. Everyone has the right to fair trial and judicial protection. NBA should call the sickness by its name. Buhari’s control of the judiciary is not in compatible with the principles of separation of powers and his fashion of leadership is undemocratic. So what Democracy is NBA talking about? What you have in Nigeria right now is pure dictatorship and no democracy. That does not undermined the sincerity and professional performance of the judges who refused to be bought.