Judicial reforms committee submits report

Justice Walter Onnoghen

The 13-man steering committee recently established by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, to review the operations of the country’s judiciary has submitted its report.
According to the statement issued yesterday by the Senior Special Assistant to the CJN on Media and Publicity, Awassam Bassey, the committee handed the report to the CJN last Friday.
The Chairman of the Committee and Secretary, Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), Mrs. Bilkisu Bashir, while submitting the report, stated that her committee interacted with several critical stakeholders, including retired Chief Justices of Nigeria, serving and retired Justices as well as Judges, to arrive at resolutions, in line with the terms of reference.
She recalled that the committee was inaugurated on June 5, with a time frame of one month. She, however, noted that to adhere to the given time, not much was done, but believed that it has set pace for subsequent reviews and reforms.
She also observed that there was high intetest in the reforms as everyone wanted to key into programme. She thanked the CJN for the opportunity given to the committee to contribute to the good of Nigerian Judiciary.
In his remarks, the CJN commended the committee for a good job, stressing that their names would be written in gold when the reforms they recommended begin to bear fruits towards making the country’s judiciary the best in the world.
“This committee is a very crucial in the history of Nigeria’s Judiciary when this chapter in that history would be written. We have to thank God for making us part and parcel of that chapter in the history of the Nigerian Judiciary. You were carefully chosen for the assignment basically because you are the engine room of the federal judiciary.
“You are in the administration; you have been in the administration. You ought to know what our problems are, because as they say, the wearer of the shoe knows where it pinches.
“At least, it is our duty to lay the first foundation for solving our problem; nobody can come from outside to salvage the Nigerian Judiciary. The solution must come from within us.
“We have to do so because if we don’t do so, the whole edifice will fall on our heads and we will have ourselves to blame. I am grateful for the sacrifices you have made and I am glad that you are part of the signpost put for me as I navigate, and I seek your continued support and prayers.
“There is no need allowing files to pile up in your offices without finding solutions to them. The owners of those files are seeking solutions and it is your responsibility to attend to them