ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE NOV 2023

RealPolitik:
Profiting from the
Miscarriage of Ju
in Nigeria
By Victor Olewunne
A reflection on Niyi Osundare’s Poem,
My Lord, Where Do I Keep Your Bribe?
The first few times I read
this poem, I misread
the word ‘Bribe’ as
‘Bible’. Starting with the
phrase, ‘My Lord’, one would
think ‘Your Bible’ should be the
natural follow up at the end of
the sentence. Incidentally too,
witnesses are put under oath
with the Bible, the Qu’ran or
other religious books or items in
a court of law. They often swear
to say the truth, nothing but
the truth. This oath is premised
on the assumption that, the
judge who is putting a witness
under oath is already on oath
to do justice, that the judge is
beyond reproach. Osundare tells
us a different story about the
Nigerian judiciary.
The cornerstone of any just
and fair legal system is the
trust that the public places in
the judiciary. This is one of the
pillars of political order. Judges
are expected to be impartial,
unbiased, and driven by a
commitment to uphold the law
and deliver justice. However,
throughout history, there have
been instances where corrupt
judges have tarnished the
reputation of the judiciary
by exploiting their power for
personal gain. This write-up,
taking a cue from Osundare’s
poem, is about the disturbing
phenomenon of corrupt judges
getting rich from the miscarriage
of justice in Nigeria.
Understanding
Corruption in the
Judiciary
Corruption within the judiciary
can take various forms, and
one of the most insidious is
when judges use their positions
to influence court decisions
in favour of certain parties,
typically those who can offer
financial or political incentives.
The miscarriage of justice occurs
when judges, instead of basing
their decisions on the merits of
a case and the law, manipulate
or subvert the legal process
using legal technicalities. We
have seen this grow and prevail
unabashedly in Nigeria. We
have seen the person who came
fourth in an election become the
first through judicial gymnastics,
as was the case in Imo State.
We have seen people who did
not participate in an election
become the elected officers,
as was the case of Lawani
and Akpabio. The most painful
is the recent case of the 2023
presidential election tribunal.
Many believe that all the laws
regarding the election have
been thrown to the dustbin by
the judges. So sad!
The Drivers of
Corruption
Corrupt judges are often
motivated by greed and a
desire for personal enrichment.
Their actions may be driven
by financial gain or the desire
to maintain their power and
influence. The third and often
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Accomplish Magazine