NJC’s constitution is an aberration 

Sir: The sanctity of the judiciary is being eroded, as a result of the failure/inaction of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in curtailing the excesses of a few bad eggs within its fold. This now tends to rubbish the whole of the judiciary. It is unacceptable.

The NJC, a creation of the 1999 Constitution right from on set, was never designed to be effective. For example, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) who himself is a member of the judiciary, which the NJC is set to control, is its chairman. That is an aberration. As if that is not enough, the CJN nominates and appoints seventeen out of the twenty-three members of the Council.

The lopsidedness of the appointees of the CJN into the Council makes the Council a one-man’s personal institution. The setback of this arrangement clearly manifested itself some years back when a serving CJN had altercation with the President, of Court of Appeal. In another development, a serving CJN was accused of corruption by a Counsel in an open Court. In both instances, the NJC behaved like a lame duck.

I’m deeply concerned that over the years, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had not thought it appropriate to propose an amendment to that relevant section of the 1999 Constitution. In my view, the NJC should be headed by a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria or a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Our judiciary, the last hope of the common man, should be protected from being degraded by avaricious politicians.
By Clem Idusogie. OMOIDUSOGIEcmo4242@yahoo.com