PRINCE IKANI REFLECTIONS ON THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY.
…..Absolves President Tinubu of judicial infractions
By Ahiaba Douglas, Abuja
Prince Ben Ikani is a legal practitioner with over three decades experience, a former Kogi State Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, a former Director/persecution with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, a former Director , National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, and the Managing Partner, Citadel of Justice law firm Abuja.
Giving his insight , While fielding questions from our Correspondent on the topic , independence of the judiciary , and also sharing his perceptions and opinions on Nigeria’s Judiciary under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Government as to whether there was any noticeable interference from the other two Arms of Government since the President took over the reigns of Government since may 29th, 2023.
Prince Ikani said as an individual who has been in the legal Profession Since his days as a law Student to his practicing of law, the judiciary has been his workshop, sharing his perspective and understanding of the Concept of the independence of Judiciary, Prince Ikani espoused that it was highly impossible to have a “Compartmentalized” judiciary, he pointed out Categorically that, there always exist a modicum of interrelationship and interdependence among the three Arms of Government for Governance to effectively and efficiently take place, one cannot function separately without the other, he stressed.
The Kogi State former Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice described as a ” legal fiction” to assume the possibility of a judiciary that could function solely without relating with the other Organs of Government.He said even in other Climes there could be noticeable interdependence of the three Organs of Government.
He however clarified that, interdependency must not in any way results to “fusion or Abnegation of Mandate” there must be a clear cut demarcation. in his words, ” the judiciary must be a Checker of the two other Organs of Government.
Commenting on the “Independence of the judiciary”, and the Tinubu Presidency, Prince Ikani said in as much as he doesn’t want to be judgemental, the truth must be told, the Current administration need to do some “Eugene staples”, that is embarking on some purification exercise in the Nation’s judiciary.
” I for one, strongly believed in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who possessed an intimidating democratic Credentials ,who also fought for the restoration of democracy in the Country”.
Continuing, the former Kogi State Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice further explained that, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu heldsway as the then Governor of Lagos State, as a young Practicing lawyer, he was a witness to the revolution he brought to the Lagos State Judiciary through the immediate past Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo who was the Lagos State Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice then, stating that he still believed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wouldn’t interfer with decisions of the Courts and that the Nation’s judiciary under his watch would truly and rightly Sustain it Slogan as the “Hope of the Common Man” he bustreessed.
However, the legal luminary,Conjecturally, alleged that Some President Bola Tinubu’s lieutenant, who crave for the acquisition of political clouts,might be found Complicit or responsible for Some infractions or interference with judicial decisions if any, a development he called on Mr President to investigate and address promptly.
Conclusively, Prince Ikani noted that another aspects that has grown his Concern and that of many Nigerians both those in the legal Profession and other as well, was the burgeoning rate at which technicalities of the law is becoming the basis of determining most of the cases by the Nation’s apex Court.
