Belgore warns judiciary against political dictatorship
By Biodun Oyeleye
A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore has warned the judiciary to avert political dictatorship.
He said this would preserve what citizens have continually hoped for in the greatness of the nation.
“Nigeria is very big, very few countries in the world have been endowed with resources like Nigeria but to harness what God has given us we need justice… I regard this as a mission for everybody, especially the judiciary to make sure that justice prevails”, Belgore said.
He spoke at an appreciation dinner organised by The Third Estate, a group of Ilorin professionals to mark the ex-CJN’s retirement from the judiciary.
He was responding to encomiums poured out on his ‘short but eventful’ tenure at the head of the judiciary, how he set the tone for judicial activism and breath new life of boldness to the third arm of government. Many singled out his leadership role in reversing the unconstitutional removal of Oyo State Governor, Rasheed Ladoja, a legal decision that has liberated many other state executives in similar circumstances.
Present at the event, which was held inside the Banquet Hall of Kwara Hotel, were prominent sons and daughters of Ilorin who occupy public offices or have once held sway in the corridors of power.
The list includes current Minister of State for Health, and ‘daughter’ to Belgore, Hajia Eyitayo Alao, current Chief Justice of the State, Justice Saka Yusuf, who wept openly while recounting that but for Belgore’s grandfather, he (Saka) would have remained a butcher for life, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, immediate past boss of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Rear Admiral Musa Ajadi of the Naval Training Department.
Others include Justice Lanre Belgore of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Alhaji Saka Sa’adu, former Minister of state for Education, Professor Shuaib Abdulraheem, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and Talban of Ilorin, Senator Isaq Salman, Alhaji Mudi Gold, former Head of Service, Kwara State, Alhaji Ahmeed Hameed, National President of Ilorin Progressive Development Union (IDPU), Mr. Kayode Eleja, Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin Branch, Senator Ayinda Omoda and Alhaji Abdulraheem Mahmud, General Manager of Radio Kwara.
Belgore, who was with his wife Hajia Fatima Folorunsho, linked the historical despotism of Adolf Hitler to the attitude of those around to praise him instead of pointing out his errors. He warned legal practitioners and judges to avoid dependence on ‘technicalities’ in the dispensation of justice, saying technicalities would never bring justice in the real sense of the word.
His words: “There is no justice in technicalities. If someone steals and a lawyer goes to court citing technicalities, that is not justice. A bad man must be punished and a good man rewarded. If you don’t want a dictatorship that will lead you to anarchy and destroy everything you hope for the judiciary must be up to its responsibility. When Hitler was dong wrong he was being praised and by 1938 those people were no longer worth anything to him, everybody was in his pocket.”
He said he felt no different listening to the praises on him, linking his achievements to his background as an Ilorin man. The town, he said has produced many great men in history and their memories were great influences on his activities in office. “When you come form such a background the best you can do is to maintain that legacy whatever may be the consequence”, he said.
Before the former CJN spoke, Alhaji Kabir Oniyangi, Chairman of Third Estate, had tasked those present to be challenged buy the successes of Belgore on his job pointing out that he left the judiciary better than he met it, one wish he said many people often desire concerning their endeavours. Oniyangi pleaded with Belgore to use his retirement to write a lucid history of Ilorin as a means of keeping alive the authentic history of the ancient town.
The Third Estate leader charged other indigenes of the town currently in public and private endeavours to emulate the retired jurist and used their wealth of experience and connections to both federal and state governments to bring more federal institutions to the Kwara state capital as well as constantly give advice to people in power to better the lot of the people under them.
SOURCE: The Nation