‘Judiciary In Danger’

Executive Director, Access to Justice, AJ, Mr. Joseph Otteh has declared that the judiciary is in danger of losing the goodwill and respect it enjoy in the society due to the activities of corrupt judges.

Otteh raised this alarm while speaking with P.M.NEWS at the end of the colloquium organised by Access to Justice in conjunction with the Lagos and Ikeja branches of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

The AJ President called for urgent intervention by stakeholders to prevent the third arm of government from losing its appellation as the last hope of the common man.

“Our judiciary is in clear danger and something should be done to salvage it from losing respect among members of the society. If people lose confidence in the judiciary as a result of corruption, then there is no hope for the common man. Lawyers even have a greater stake to ensure that the integrity of the judiciary is restored. We must do something to clean up the mess in the judiciary,’’ Otteh declared.

The human rights activist explained that judges to hear the 2011 election petition cases had been constituted and there is need to ensure that these judges have independence, integrity and understand the rule of law.

He called for the strenghtening of the judiciary, adding that corrupt judges should be removed from the system.

—Henrietta Ikhile