Read on Twitter
It’s funny that since our amalgamation till date, no Igbo person has held the position of Chief Justice of Nigeria.
In fact, an Igbo Justice is highly unlikely to be appointed as CJN in the next 10 to 11 years. It’s almost suspiciously coincidental.
In fact, an Igbo Justice is highly unlikely to be appointed as CJN in the next 10 to 11 years. It’s almost suspiciously coincidental.
Justices Ukaego Peter-Odili and Sylvester Ugwuta will be retiring in 2021 when Mohammed Tanko will still be the CJN; Justice Nweze will retire in 2028 and by that time, Justice Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun will be the CJN. In over 100 years, no CJN of the Igbo extraction.
I do not suggest that tribal marginalization have occurred in the Bench; after all, appointments to the position of CJN traditionally behoove on the most senior Supreme Court Justice at the time, following a constitutionally laid down procedure. But the coincidences are funny.
Obviously, we are slavishly adherent to customs. I do not think the order of seniority should be the basis for appointing the head of the judiciary. It is good to consider it, but appointments should be based more on competence and contributions to the development of the law.
I advocate this because if this has been the case, we would never have had some CJNs we have had, and we would have had some CJNs we never had and in the latter case, an Igbo CJN would have unmistakably emerged, esp. considering immense contributions to development of the law.
In the US, there is no rule, neither is there any custom that dictates the appointment of Chief Justices to the Supreme Court. In fact, out of the 17 Chief Justices that have served the US, only 5 were sitting Associates Chief Justices (equivalent of SC Justices in Nigeria).
A less traditional approach will put Justices on their toes and indeed, senior members of the Bar or academic should have a chance.
Indeed, the Nigerian factor; just as credible persons can have a chance, incompetent lawyers can also have a chance - political affiliations.
Indeed, the Nigerian factor; just as credible persons can have a chance, incompetent lawyers can also have a chance - political affiliations.
For instance, Teslim Elias was appointed to be a Chief Justice of Nigeria in the 70s, without any background in the judiciary. He was an Attorney General and a lecturer. Yet, he was competent and he delivered. But we have also had political appointments which didn’t serve us.
So, it falls on the recommending body. If the process of scrutiny is thorough, incompetent, non-sitting lawyers will not make it to the Supreme Court. We will have to also hope that the recommendation process will not be politically hijacked.
