HURIWA to CJN: Nigerians Not Mobsters, Their Opinions Matter

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Human Rights Writers Association of Association   (HURIWA), has urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, to reconsider his adversarial, antagonistic stance towards public opinion, adding that, unchecked and pervasive corruption if not wiped out in the judiciary immediately could destroy democracy by instigating a revolution.

In a statement by the national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said, “We in HURIWA have the greatest place of honour and veneration for the Nigerian judiciary as the bastion of hope and temple of justice for the people.

“We respectfully wish to appeal to His Excellency,  the Chief Justice of Nigeria, to moderate his public position on the essence of public opinion and to separate jaundiced and politically sugar-coated emotive comments from rational opinions of the well meaning members of the public.

“We beg to disagree with the honourable, the CJN on his position about public opinion and for the hasty conclusion that the members of public are mobsters. The danger is that if the people lose faith, trust and confidence in the judiciary, they will resort to self-help, which may lead to destabilisation of constitutional democracy,” he said.

Besides,  he  asked the CJN to respond to the alleged insinuations of the capacity of the All Progressives Congress to influence the outcomes of election related cases before their lordships at the Supreme court of Nigeria as allegedly made by a member representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke federal constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi.

The group recalled that the said House of Representatives member came under attack last week after allegedly bragging that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, would influence the decision of the Supreme Court on the petition challenging the outcome of the governorship election in the state.

HURIWA recalled that whilst the lawmaker spoke, some people suspected to be APC supporters could be heard in the background hailing him, adding that such sarcastic comment was damaging to the reputation of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and needed to be investigated.

It claimed that the silence from the judicial authority about this sort of statements that give the public the impression that the judges can be purchased by the highest bidders.