The tasks for Justice Minister Fagbemi

Date: 2023-09-13

The recent appointment of Chief Lateef Fagbemi, one of Nigeria's foremost jurists, as a member of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, could not have come at a better time.

At a time the country's judicial sector appears to be decaying – too quickly -, his appointment as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, offers a silver lining.

Chief Fagbemi, a celebrated lawyer has made significant contributions to the development of law and justice in the country. He has been involved in various landmark cases, which includes but not limited to election petitions and other constitutional matters.

He also served as a judge in various Nigerian courts, including the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, and at 37, he became the youngest lawyer to earn the coveted SAN rank.

While assuming office at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja recently, the 64-year-old jurist, an indigene of Kwara state, acknowledged the challenges hindering Nigeria's judiciary, and the administration of effective justice.

But he had earlier, during his ministerial screening by the Senate, laid out his plan on how to sanitize the country's judicial sector. To tackle corruption in the judiciary, Chief Fagbemi called for adequate welfare provision for judges, most especially.

As it was with his predecessors, Fagbemi will be performing both the work of AGF, which is to represent the public in all legal proceedings for the enforcement of law and the assertion or protections of public rights, and also, the role of a minister of justice, that is, the legal arm of government primarily concerned with bringing cases before the judiciary that are initiated or assumed by the government.

Ideally, the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the AGF should not be one, as combining the two will perhaps bring about a conflict of interest in protecting public interest and doing the government's bidding. These are two sides of the coin.

Again, Fagbemi, as Minister of Justice and AGF, has a significant role to play in ensuring that the Tinubu government obeys court orders, and have regard for the rule of law.

Our judiciary, under Minister Fagbemi, should be independent and insolated from intimidation or undue influence of the executive.

Talking about arrest without trial, the current administration is already threading the path of its immediate predecessor, where many arrested persons spend several months in gulags of our security/intelligence agencies, without trials.

The immediate-past Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, since June.

There is need for the new AGF and Minister of Justice to look into this. Not only Bawa, but other high-profile Nigerians detained by the DSS should immediately be charged to court.

Fagbemi should also do something about the delay in prosecutions. He should come up with rules that prohibit the prolonging of cases in our courts of law.

He should also introduce a policy that will address the problem of 'arrest without trial', with a view to fast-tracking legal prosecutions in the country. Indeed, a robust justice system helps to beget a peaceful and orderly society.

If the judiciary must continue to remain the hope of every common Nigerian, then it must be purged of all obnoxious acts that are desecrating the country's temple of justice. This is the time for our brand new Minister of Justice to champion qualitative reforms for our judiciary. He will be writing his name in gold.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Suleman Abubakar     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Labour Party     Facebook     State Bureau Of Internal Revenue     Salary     Yusuf Amuda Abubakar     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Ibrahim Taiwo Road     Albert Ogunsola     Zulkifli Ibraheem     Mutawali     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Millennium Development Goals     Demola Banu     Ibrahim Mashood     Abiodun Jacob Ajiboye     Yusuf Abdulkadir     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Musbau A. Akanji     Akeem Olatunji     Opobiyi     Dan Iya     Curfew     Omoniyi     Okasanmi Ajayi     Orisa Bridge     Oluwarotimi Boluwatife Adenike     Daud Adeshola     CUTI     Laboratory-to-Product     Olusola Saraki     Ahmed Alhasssan     Adekunle David Dunmade     National Association Of Nigerian Students     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Imam Gambari     Yunus Oniboki     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     11th Galadima     Yusuf Abdulwahab     TVC Female National Debate     Tunji Ajanaku     Segun Adeniyi     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     Alabe     Baba Issa     HYPPADEC     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants Ltd     Muhammad Ghali Alaaya     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     Saliu Oluwole     Sulyman Tejidini     Oko     Fatai Olodo     Yakub Ali-Agan     Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria     Niguel Gallando Marcias     Azeez Bello     AIT Ilorin     Iponrin     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Idiagbon     Aliyu Sabi     Abdulkadir Remi Hawawu     Presidential Election     Isiaka Oniwa     Bayer Nigeria Limited     Yemi Sanni     Ahmad Uthman     Modibo Kawu     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Bashirat Bola Bello    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Dan Masanin     Elerin Of Adanla     Idris Garuba     ITP     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Offorjama     Isiaka Yusuf     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     Abdulganiyu Oladosu     Kwara Teaching Service Commission     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Ben Duntoye     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Freshvine Nigeria Limited     Bareke     Shagari     Code Of Conduct     IQRA College     Quranic Recitation Competition     Abdullateef Abdussalam     Albert Ogunsola     Iyeru Grammar School     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     First Lady     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Lanre Jimoh     Universal Basic Education Commission     Abdulrahman Iliasu     Babaita     Abubakar Baba     AGM Professional Services     Hassan Saliu     Iqra Books     Yakubu Mohammed Abdullahi     KWACOBPA     Saadu Yusuf     April 11     Yeketi     Babaloja-General     Vasolar Consortium     Elerinjare     Alapansapa     Labour Party     Idofin     Solomon Edoja     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Kamoru Kadiri     All Confederation Of Principals Of Secondary Schools     Umar Adelodun     Ibrahim Bio     Lanre Issa-Onilu     Gbemi Saraki     Hajj     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Firdaos Amasa     Bayo Ajia     Idowu Laro     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Eghe Igbinehin     Yusuf Abdulwahab     Wahab Egbewole     Alliance For Democracy     Olaiya Zuberu     Sa\'adu Salau     Olatomiwa Williams     Bio Ibrahim     Bibire Ajape     Galland Marcias     Saidu Yaro Musa     Sango-UITH Road     Oluronke Adeyemi     Kwara State Sports Commission     Olaosebikan     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Idi-Ape