The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Afam Osigwe, has condemned state governors who publicly donate cars, houses, and other items to judges, describing the gesture as demeaning and damaging to judicial independence. In an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Osigwe expressed concern that the practice undermines the image of the judiciary and fuels perceptions of undue influence by the executive. He emphasized that such acts diminish the stature of the judiciary, giving the impression that judges are beholden to governors who bankroll their needs.
Osigwe stressed that the judiciary should be an independent part of government and should not be demeaned or reduced to a point where members of the judiciary are given handouts as if a favor was being done to them. He warned that no judiciary can claim true independence if it relies on the executive for basic operational needs. “There’s no way you can convince any person that the judiciary that finds itself in such a situation is independent. Never!” he declared.
The NBA boss insisted that all judicial needs, from vehicles to courtrooms and infrastructure, must be captured in budgets and executed by the judiciary itself. He dismissed excuses that the judiciary lacks capacity to manage funds, noting that professionals are employed within the system to handle such responsibilities. Osigwe urged state governments to adopt similar practices of financial autonomy for the judiciary, as enjoyed by the federal judiciary, to safeguard the credibility of their courts.
Osigwe cautioned that when the judiciary is not financially autonomous, it demeans the institution, robs it of its independence, and makes it difficult for the people to trust that such a judiciary can be independent. He emphasized that justice is rooted in confidence, and the day that confidence is eroded or seems to be gone, the people’s confidence in the judiciary’s ability will forever be eroded.
The NBA President’s call for financial autonomy for the judiciary highlights the need for reform in the way state governments fund their judiciaries. By adopting similar practices to the federal judiciary, state governments can help ensure the independence and credibility of their courts, ultimately upholding the rule of law and promoting justice.
