Buhari, CJN disagree on why corruption cases delay

President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, have expressed divergent views on corruption cases before the courts.

Both leaders, while speaking at the opening ceremony of an International Workshop on the Judiciary and Fight against Corruption, held in Abuja defended their constituencies, while laying the blame on the other arm for being responsible for non-conclusion and dragging of corruption cases before the courts.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), among others also spoke at the two-day event jointly-organised by the National Judicial Institute and the Sagay-led PACAC with the theme, “The roles of judges in the fight against corruption.”

Buhari expressed worry over the delay tactics adopted by judicial officers and lawyers to stall progress in the dispensation of justice, especially in trials of corruption suspects, noting, that such situations usually left negative impressions that crimes were a venture worth taking.

He lamented, ‘’I am worried that the expectation of the public is yet to be met by the judiciary, with regard to the removal of delay and the toleration of delay tactics by lawyers. When cases are not concluded, the negative impression is given that crime pays.”

On his part however, the CJN, Mohammed responded to reasons cases against politically-exposed persons had remained in the court’s dockets, attributing it to lack of will by government (executive) to get them prosecuted.

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He said, “I must emphasise that the fact that these cases still remain on our case list was because of lack of will on the part of government to have these cases prosecuted.

He however added, that now that there is a government with a will, the cases will no longer be delayed.

He further vowed that “As corresponding action from the judiciary, we are determined not to strike out or dismiss the cases or discharge and acquit accused persons without trial.

“That is why these cases remain on the list because of virile determination to have them prosecuted when the will to do so arises such as now.”

According to him, “The issue of undue delay by technicality, which hitherto plagued the criminal justice system, has also been addressed by the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.”

The CJN promised that the judiciary would continue to play its role in the fight against corruption, adding that due punishment would be meted out to anyone found guilty.

 

 

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