Anti- graft war: Legal practitioners calls for judiciary independence, financial autonomy

A Kano-based legal practitioner, Mr Ma’aruf Yakasai, on Sunday said bad eggs should be exposed for the fight against corruption in the judiciary to succeed. Yakasai made the remark in Kano at a stakeholders’ interactive session organised by the Prestige Solicitors and Associates, Law Clinic Unit. The event was organised to discuss issues bordering on […]

A Kano-based legal practitioner, Mr Ma’aruf Yakasai, on Sunday said bad eggs should be exposed for the fight against corruption in the judiciary to succeed.

Yakasai made the remark in Kano at a stakeholders’ interactive session organised by the Prestige Solicitors and Associates, Law Clinic Unit.

The event was organised to discuss issues bordering on independence of judiciary, its Financial autonomy and fight against corruption.

“Let us try and fish out bag eggs among us and expose them because there are bad eggs in any organisation,” he said.

Yakasai said exposing corrupt Judicial Officers and judges by the Judicial Officers themselves would go along way in strengthening the fight against corruption and ensure sanity in the entire system.

“As stakeholders, we should try and protect the judiciary by ensuring justice for all. The judiciary must take the necessary steps to show Nigerians that it wants to be independent,’’ he said.

Another legal expert, Mr Abdulkadir Sani, warned against using favouritism in the appointment of judges and other Judicial Officers in the country.

“The moment we use favouritism to appoint judges, then we are doomed. Rather, we should appoint judges based on merit.

He suggested the adoption of cashless policy in order to check corrupt practices in the Judiciary.

Also speaking, the Clinic head, Prestige Law Clinic, Mr Yusuf Jejeola, said the ‘conflict management clinic’ was aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence among key players in the sector as well as promoting ethics among lawyers.

NAN reports that other issues discussed at the forum included promoting prison decongestion and bail free atmosphere as well as easy link to justice mechanism. (NAN)