Waiting for the NJC
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by Aliyu Namande Maru
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There is a worrisome waiting game now going on between the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the good people of Zamfara State centered around the state of limbo into which the alleged case of bribery and corruption involving a Zamfara State High Court judge has been thrown into ever since the matter was referred to the NJC as the institutional disciplinarian for erring judges in the country. The NJC has thus far acquitted itself admirably in the way it has intervened to save the face of the nation’s judiciary. It has a fairly impressive record of responding swiftly to duly forwarded petitions and other complaints against sitting judges of various courts. Without apparent fear or favour, we have seen the NJC adjudicating positively to take decisive deterrent action in dealing with such unfortunate incidents as the compromising or outright discrediting of the expected integrity and incorrigibility of Nigerian judges, particularly in their handling of cases brought before them. This is why the sudden paralysis of the previously systematic sequence of events leading up to the referral to the NJC of the case of the Zamfara judge who was ensnared in an SSS sting operation becomes a matter of serious concern to all right thinking persons.
It bears recalling that sometime around August this year, the newspapers were awash with the startling account of an SSS sting operation in Gusau which neatly netted a Zamfara High Court judge after receiving an envelope of marked money from an official of the state branch of NULGE which had brought a case against the state government before the judge. Concerned about the lack of progress in the case, the NULGE official discreetly approached the judge to seek the sympathy of the judge towards their case so that it could be given accelerated hearing in the union’s favour. But the judge’s sympathy came with some strings attached that made it clear that the union’s request could be met only on the notorious “scratch my back I scratch your back” basis, infamously known also as “kolanut”. So the NULGE official entered into “negotiations” with the judge but with the intention of indicting him rather than playing along with his scandalous solicitation of bribe.The NULGE official therefore proceeded to enlist the covert cooperation of the SSS in Gusau to build an unassailable case of demanding and receiving gratification against the unsuspecting but unscrupulous judge. Consequently, further discussions and negotiations between the NULGE official and the High Court judge were surreptitiously recorded on tape, climaxing with an agreed price and date and venue for collection. The real dramatic high point of the sting operation was when the SSS operatives monitoring the matter swooped on the judge soon after depositing the envelope of marked currency notes into the voluminous pockets of his babbar riga and assuring the NULGE official of a done deal.
More drama ensued thereafter when the stunned judge sold the dummy of being “abducted by unknown persons” to the inquisitive reporters who got wind of the previous night’s sting operation to ward off embarrassing questions about his presence in the SSS office and later the police headquarters, not to mention the neighborhood rumours about him being arrested and taken away in handcuffs. But this smokescreen soon wafted away after the SSS report on the incident got to the state authorities and later even the NBA’s attention was drawn to the scandal. It didn’t take time before the details of the sting operation and the speechless culpability of the judge triggered a fresh round of news headlines and a flurry of petitions to the NJC from the NBA and others. In fact the NJC itself acknowledged receipt of the various petitions and reports with an expressed determination to investigate accordingly.
While all this was going on the jolted judge had calmly returned to his court, presiding over cases and generally living the lie of the judge who “miraculously escaped” from “unknown abductors”. His pretences were no doubts premised on the rather slow turning of the wheels of justice in a matter that is otherwise a straight-forward criminal self-indictment, complete with taped transactions and an exhibit of the envelope of marked naira notes recovered from the judge. For whatever reason or lack of it, the various law enforcement agencies involved in the incident froze into inaction, perhaps waiting for the NJC to formalize the indictment required to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion.
The issue has resurfaced again in discussion circles in Gusau, especially within the judiciary and ranks of the anti-corruption NGOs precisely because the NJC has reportedly looked into the matter, among others, at its recent meeting in Abuja but curiously held back its decision on the petitions and the next line of action in the matter. The fact that the judge has carried on ever since as if nothing happened or he is somehow shielded from the supposedly long arm of the law, is fuelling public concern about the integrity of the judiciary and the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria. In view of the NJC’s track record in dispensing with such matters transparently and with dispatch, its is understandable that people are concerned about the anti-climax of such a sensationally successful sting operation. It is in the NJC’s best interest to at least speak out about the status of the matter to re-assure everyone of its commitment to sanitizing the Nigerian judiciary.
Maru is Secretary-General, Zamfara anti-corruption league
Articles
Waiting for the NJC
Category: Philosofaith Written by Aliyu Namande Maru Hits: 571
There is a worrisome waiting game now going on between the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the good people of Zamfara State centered around the state of limbo into which the alleged case of bribery and corruption involving a Zamfara State High Court judge has been thrown into ever since the matter was referred to the NJC as the institutional disciplinarian for erring judges in the country. The NJC has thus far acquitted itself admirably in the way it has intervened to save the face of the nation’s judiciary. It has a fairly impressive record of responding swiftly to duly forwarded petitions and other complaints against sitting judges of various courts. Without apparent fear or favour, we have seen the NJC adjudicating positively to take decisive deterrent action in dealing with such unfortunate incidents as the compromising or outright discrediting of the expected integrity and incorrigibility of Nigerian judges, particularly in their handling of cases brought before them. This is why the sudden paralysis of the previously systematic sequence of events leading up to the referral to the NJC of the case of the Zamfara judge who was ensnared in an SSS sting operation becomes a matter of serious concern to all right thinking persons.
It bears recalling that sometime around August this year, the newspapers were awash with the startling account of an SSS sting operation in Gusau which neatly netted a Zamfara High Court judge after receiving an envelope of marked money from an official of the state branch of NULGE which had brought a case against the state government before the judge. Concerned about the lack of progress in the case, the NULGE official discreetly approached the judge to seek the sympathy of the judge towards their case so that it could be given accelerated hearing in the union’s favour. But the judge’s sympathy came with some strings attached that made it clear that the union’s request could be met only on the notorious “scratch my back I scratch your back” basis, infamously known also as “kolanut”. So the NULGE official entered into “negotiations” with the judge but with the intention of indicting him rather than playing along with his scandalous solicitation of bribe.The NULGE official therefore proceeded to enlist the covert cooperation of the SSS in Gusau to build an unassailable case of demanding and receiving gratification against the unsuspecting but unscrupulous judge. Consequently, further discussions and negotiations between the NULGE official and the High Court judge were surreptitiously recorded on tape, climaxing with an agreed price and date and venue for collection. The real dramatic high point of the sting operation was when the SSS operatives monitoring the matter swooped on the judge soon after depositing the envelope of marked currency notes into the voluminous pockets of his babbar riga and assuring the NULGE official of a done deal.
More drama ensued thereafter when the stunned judge sold the dummy of being “abducted by unknown persons” to the inquisitive reporters who got wind of the previous night’s sting operation to ward off embarrassing questions about his presence in the SSS office and later the police headquarters, not to mention the neighborhood rumours about him being arrested and taken away in handcuffs. But this smokescreen soon wafted away after the SSS report on the incident got to the state authorities and later even the NBA’s attention was drawn to the scandal. It didn’t take time before the details of the sting operation and the speechless culpability of the judge triggered a fresh round of news headlines and a flurry of petitions to the NJC from the NBA and others. In fact the NJC itself acknowledged receipt of the various petitions and reports with an expressed determination to investigate accordingly.
While all this was going on the jolted judge had calmly returned to his court, presiding over cases and generally living the lie of the judge who “miraculously escaped” from “unknown abductors”. His pretences were no doubts premised on the rather slow turning of the wheels of justice in a matter that is otherwise a straight-forward criminal self-indictment, complete with taped transactions and an exhibit of the envelope of marked naira notes recovered from the judge. For whatever reason or lack of it, the various law enforcement agencies involved in the incident froze into inaction, perhaps waiting for the NJC to formalize the indictment required to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion.
The issue has resurfaced again in discussion circles in Gusau, especially within the judiciary and ranks of the anti-corruption NGOs precisely because the NJC has reportedly looked into the matter, among others, at its recent meeting in Abuja but curiously held back its decision on the petitions and the next line of action in the matter. The fact that the judge has carried on ever since as if nothing happened or he is somehow shielded from the supposedly long arm of the law, is fuelling public concern about the integrity of the judiciary and the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria. In view of the NJC’s track record in dispensing with such matters transparently and with dispatch, its is understandable that people are concerned about the anti-climax of such a sensationally successful sting operation. It is in the NJC’s best interest to at least speak out about the status of the matter to re-assure everyone of its commitment to sanitizing the Nigerian judiciary.
Maru is Secretary-General, Zamfara anti-corruption league