An Abuja based legalLiman practitioner Barrister Abdullahi has reminded the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwola to as a matter of necessity to revisit the issue of the appointments of some Federal High Judges who applied for the position and were denied their appointment by Godfatherism under the former CJN Justice Mohammed Tanko.
The legal practitioner had earlier in November,2023 filed a petition and Forwarded to the Chief Justice of Nigeria informing him of the abnormality in the appointment of the six Federal High Court Judges by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Mohammed Tanko.
The Petition tagged " A distress Call To Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria To Tame Corruption In The Appointment of Judges" , decried the Unprecedented Corruption that characterized the appointment of some Federal High Court Judges under the former Chief Justice Of Nigeria Mohammed Tanko.
The legal practitioner recalled that he was deeply concerned and agitated by the sundry allegations of impropriety in the appointment of judges to the superior courts in Nigeria, stating that he was moved to Forward the complaint inview of the ineptitude of the former CJN in appointing unqualified applicant dropping the applicant.
The applicants were invited for interview after their successful performance at the National Judicial Council NJC panels that conducted the interview and their positions were given to those that did not even sat for the interview after all.
According to the legal practitioner,one of the appointed Federal High Court Judges who was said to have a Godfather in the last tenure of the former CJN Justice Mohammed Tanko, who knew little or nothing of the candidate personally relied on what he was told by his colleagues.
These candidates, he said or Judges " as they did not even appear before the Security screening just for them to get a smooth sailing".
However, findings revealed that applicants Invited for interview after their successful performance at the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) were denied appointment and were never Invited by the National Judicial Council (NJC) the list of successful candidates having been manipulated which saw the appointment being given to those who were disqualified, even as they failed the interview at the FJSC level.
He further reminded the CJN to as a matter of integrity of the Nation's Judiciary to revisit the unprecedented abnormality of these applicants so as the applicants whose records of performance in their respective jurisdiction while on the lower benches will be exhibited if given their stolen chances of becoming the Federal High Court Judges.
" These applicants were people of high integrity as judges of lower bench in their respective states Judiciary. A female applicant from Niger State who was successful in all the interviews has unstained integrity as chief Magistrate in Niger State.
" She never compromised Justice as a chief Magistrate in Niger State. As a lawyer appearing in her court we knew of her integrity. You can't just go to her court and think you can just get justice on the planter of gold. You have to get yourself prepared before appearing in her court otherwise you will get yourself embarrassed" he asserted.
He pleaded with the CJN to revisit their matter in the forthcoming NJC meeting slated for the second quarter of this month so as the abnormality in the appointment of the Federal High Court Judges who were denied their appointment by the former CJN Justice Mohammed Tanko will be addressed.
While applauding the leadership of the Present CJN Justice Olukayode Ariwola for the ongoing reforms he has put in place in the Nation's Judiciary system the legal practitioner assured that the CJN will maintain his integrity by addressing the issue of the appointments of the applicants.
