The Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Soinbajo, has stressed the need for a thorough reform of the nation’s judiciary to uphold the Rule of Law.
At the Justice Peter Bassey 10th Memorial Anniversary in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Professor Osinbajo said he would want to see a judicial system where “the Rule of Law is applicable to all classes of Nigerians irrespective of their status”.
At the event held on Thursday at the International Conference Centre of the University of Calabar, Professor Osinbajo, who is a lawyer, expressed the belief that it was the right moment to address the nation’s judicial system.
‘Consequence For Conducts’
“The reason for what we have had in the past years is because there have been no consequence for unlawful conducts.
“People get away with anything and part of the reason this has continued is that it is also becoming cultural,” the Vice President said.
He shared his experience as the Attorney General of Lagos State, saying he was faced constantly with persons who come to beg on behalf of persons who have committed different offences.
“Nobody wants to accept that their brother, cousin or friend should go to jail for committing an offence,” he stated.
At the event were a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and the Governor of Cross River State, Mr Ben Ayade.
Mr Ben stressed that morality was the essential fabric that would drive the future of Nigeria.
“With the absence of morality, the future is bleak. Most of the decadence we have found in the society today originate from lack of morality,” Mr Ayade said.
For Mrs Ezekwesili, Nigerians have distorted the nation’s incentives’ regime, which she said had led to the reward of people with bad behaviour while good persons are punished.
