President Bola Tinubu, on Monday charged the Nigerian judiciary to ensure swift and fair dispensation of justice that is blind to a litigant’s status or ethnicity.
Insisting that a compromised legal system threatens democratic stability, the president said that the administration of justice must give confidence to the common man in the judiciary as his last hope.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha said in a release that President Tinubu spoke in Abuja when he commissioned the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division Building complex, Dakibiyu, where he was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He said the new appellate court building reinforces his Renewed Hope Agenda and his administration’s determination to give the operators of the nation’s justice system a befitting home.
“To My Lords Justices, as you move into this complex, Nigeria asks one thing of you: let justice be swift. Let it be fair. Let it be blind to status, tribe, or purse. Let the common man feel that this Court is truly his last hope.
“On this note, and to the glory of Almighty God, I hereby commission the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division Building Complex, for the service of justice and for the benefit of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he declared.
President Tinubu noted that it was unacceptable that the Abuja division of the appellate court operated from a cramped, temporary space for too long.
He added that a nation that seeks justice must respect the temple of justice.
“When I visited and saw the condition, I gave a simple instruction: fix it. Today, we have fixed it,” he stated.
He commended the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for timely delivery and for domesticating his demonstration’s judicial reforms in the nation’s capital
“You took the assignment to deliver this project in May 2024. By July, contractors were on site. You promised 16 months. You delivered in record time.
“No excuses. No variation. Just results. Nigerians can see the difference. We are proud of your dedication to duty,” he told the minister.
The Nigerian leader maintained that the project aligned with his administration’s priorities, “which aim to improve governance and the rule of law by implementing judicial reforms, restructuring the judiciary, and increasing funding to ensure a just, rule-based society.”
He continued: “This complex is world-class. With two large and eight smaller courtrooms, cases will now receive speedy attention. This will go a long way toward ensuring justice for all, upholding the rule of law, maintaining law and order in the Federal Capital Territory, and reducing congestion in our correctional centres. This is how you honour the Judiciary. This is how you strengthen democracy.”
The President acknowledged that judges serve the nation under immense pressure, pointing out what he described as the heavy docket being carried by the Abuja Division of he appellate court.
Earlier, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, said that the impact of the complex on the administration of justice cannot be overemphasized.
She noted that before the court complex was built, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal was operating with only two courtrooms, which slowed the speedy delivery of justice over the years.
Justice Dongban-Mensem expressed confidence that the new complex will significantly improve the speed at which matters are resolved.
In his welcome address, FCT Minister, Wike, said he had informed President Tinubu of the need to intervene in the deplorable state of the court, adding that the President approved the provision of a befitting complex for the Court of Appeal, as well as residences for judges.
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