In view of the worrying trend of corrupt practices in Nigeria’s judicial system, the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to tackle the hydra-headed monster when his government kick-starts on May 29.
Tinubu who was in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital to inaugurate the Magistrate Court Complex constructed by the government of Governor Nyesom Wike, commended the Governor for his foresight and love for providing judges and magistrates the best working and living condition.
He noted that with such provision, Governor Wike has shown sufficient support to fight corruption, particularly in the judiciary.
The president-elect stressed that no one was expecting judges to live, operate and dispense justice in squalor, hence, cannot be immune from corruption.
“You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor, to dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that is necessary in our policy think tank. We must fight corruption and we definitely must look at the other side of the coin. If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt, you’ve got to pay attention to their welfare. If you want fair dispensation of justice, you don’t want them to operate in hazardous conditions. Let’s think value for value”.
Tinubu assured that his administration when sworn-in will fight corruption in the judiciary by reviewing a policy think-tank of their welfare, and conditions of service.
Tinubu, who commended governor Wike for building the edifice for the magistrates, charged Nigerians to cultivate the virtue of maintaining public assets.
“To the magistrates, I say congratulations. This edifice from the outside is so beautiful and gorgeous. Yes, you have new place, but the governor challenged the conscience of all of us. We have to change our culture of maintenance. That is a local issue, it is universally accepted.
“But we will fight poverty and we must fight it rigorously. poverty of thinking, poverty of standard, poverty of reasoning like the perversion they gave my story yesterday. That is poverty of thinking.”
