The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, pledged that his administration will put incentives and policies in place to make corruption unattractive for judges and other legal officials working in the judiciary.
Tinubu made the promise during the inauguration of the Magistrate Courts Complex in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by one of his media aides, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz.
The event was part of Tinubu’s two-day visit to the state to inaugurate projects executed by the Nyesom Wike administration.
In attendance were Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).
Others were former governors Chief Bisi Akande (Osun), James Ibori (Delta), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Ayo Fayose (Ekiti). Others were members of the National Assembly, Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Betta Edu, Chief Ayiri Emami, among others.
While giving his speech, the former Lagos governor disclosed that with the right incentives that guarantee a conducive working atmosphere and policies that make it easy for workers to acquire credit facilities for essential needs the temptation for corruption would reduce.
“You don’t expect your judges to live in squalor, to operate in squalor and dispense justice in squalor. This is part of the changes that are necessary. We must fight corruption but we must definitely look at the other side of the coin.
“If you don’t want your judges to be corrupt you got to pay attention to their welfare. You don’t want them to operate in hazardous conditions,” he said.
Continuing, the president-elect noted that lack of consumer credit, which could make it easy for workers to acquire property such as houses and cars, make them susceptible to corruption.
Tinubu also reiterated his commitment to the unity of Nigeria promising to be fair to all.
He stated, “If you have consumer credit that will reduce the propensity for corruption. We don’t want our judges to play foul, to compromise justice. I promise we are going to review all of these in a policy think tank.
“The unity of this country is not negotiable. That is what Wike and I are promoting jointly. I promise I will be fair to all.”
During the tour of the facilities, Governor Nyesom Wike explained that the complex contained 24 courtrooms, offices and other utilities meant to decongest the state high court complex and expand access to justice.
He said his administration always considers welfare of judges and condition of courts essential for speedy justice dispensation.
Wike further charged the state judiciary to ensure proper maintenance of the edifice for which financial provision had been made.
He once again thanked the President-elect for accepting to visit the state and commission the projects.
— Punch Newspapers
