Onnoghen: Judges Must Desist from Encouraging Injustice

• Says such disposition breeds disunity

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen, has warned judges in the country to shun acts capable of contributing to the growing culture of injustice, because dispositions such as this could breed disunity amongst the people.

Speaking at the inauguration of Justice Abdul Adamu Kafarati as the acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court weekend, Onnoghen advised the nation’s judges to be guided at all times by the constitution and laws of the land in order to be fair to all in the discharge of their duties.He said there would be lesser problems for individuals and the country, when justice genuinely prevails in the land.

He emphasised that there was nothing greater than the rule of law and that the only way to ensure unity was for judges to promote justice at all times.“It is a fact that injustice breeds disunity and the only way to avoid disunity is to allow the rule of law to run its full course.“As judges, we must be ready to return the judiciary to the golden era that commanded respect and we must not attempt in any way to satisfy everybody as our duty is to save who is right and let those who are wrong to be aware,” he said.

Speaking further, he said: “Let me emphasise that no judge will have problems when he upholds the constitution and the rule of law. Nothing is greater than the rule of law and as judges, we must promote this in our judgments.

”He went on to charge the acting Chief Judge to be guided always by his oath of office as a judicial officer, saying he has been saddled with more responsibilities by virtue of his new posting.Onnoghen also pleaded with judges of the Federal High Court to cooperate and help the acting judge to pilot the affairs of the court to success, because the Federal High Court, according to him, is strategic with enormous functions.

He also praised the outgone Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Auta for his contributions to the growth of the judiciary, especially for taking justice to the doorstep of every Nigerian, adding that history would be kind to him.

Kafarati was born in 1954 at Kwami, in the present Gombe State and attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1975 and 1978. He enrolled at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1978 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1979.

He joined the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice as a State Counsel 11 in 1980 and became a judge of the Federal High Court on October 31, 1991.