The Presidency has openly accused the nation’s judiciary of compromising in the current war against corruption, saying that members of the judiciary are drifting in the wrong direction by showing solidarity with their colleagues who deserve condemnation.
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay, who spoke in an interview with Channels Television, insisted that the recent action of the National Judicial Council (NJC) suggests a compromise, which is unbecoming of the profession.
“Within the country, we are beginning to see a major problem of the judiciary not seeing its role as a very major one in the battle against corruption.
“Therefore, they are exhibiting some sort of esprit de corps or solidarity with their brethren who, in fact, they should excoriate and condemn for bringing down the image of their sacred institution.
“Those are some of the major problems, but we have plans to ensure that the drift in the wrong direction does not continue.”
He expressed the urgent need for the judiciary to check the trend because Nigeria can never have a successful fight against corruption without the full backing of the judiciary. [myad]
