Gifts blind the eyes – CJN warns judges

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola yesterday warned Judges in the country against accepting juicy and irresistible gifts from corrupt people especially politicians and businessmen so as not to bring shame and disgrace to their families when caught. Justice Ariwoola said many high profile cases would definitely come before Judges in the course of discharging their duties in company of irresistible gifts especially when they involve mouth-watering financial aid business transactions.

“I am making it clear to you now that you must flee from such disguised danger,” the CJN said while inaugurating six newly appointed Judges for the National Industrial Court yesterday at the Supreme Court Complex. The six new Judges inaugurated are Justices Subilim Emmanuel Danjuma, Mohammad Adamu Hamza, Damachi-Onugba Joyce Agede, Hassan Mohammed Yakubu, Buhari Sami and Sanda Audu Yelwa. The CJN told the judicial officers: “You must, against all odds, conduct your affairs within the ambit of the law and the oath that has just been administered on you. “If you were hitherto 50 per cent under public scrutiny, I can confidently tell you now that it has automatically risen to 100 per cent by virtue of this appointment.”

Justice Ariwoola charged the Judges to redouble their efforts and dialogue with their con- science in order not to fall out of grace of God and the Nigerian people. The CJN charged the new Judges to fasten their belts and roll up their sleeves to face the challenges head-on adding that they must double their pace to catch up with expectations of litigants. “As Judicial officers, you have a divine mandate on earth that you must discharge with unveiled honesty and sincerity. “You must give a good ac- count of yourselves to justify your appointment.

However, if you decide to do the contrary, the sledgehammer will, without hesi- tation, descend heavily on you. “No judicial officers at any level of our Courts will be al- lowed to drag the reputation of the Nigerian Judiciary into the mud. We cannot come this far to fail,” the CJN said.