Former Supreme Court justice alleges flawed recruitment process of judges
A former justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Ejembi Eko, has claimed that the judicial recruiting process is defective, stating that the majority of heads of courts have been “captured” by the executive to carry out their bidding in the recruitment process of judges.
He emphasised that until the capital and recurrent expenditures of the judiciary are specifically allocated from the Consolidated Revenue Funds of both the federation and the states, the chief executives and the heads of court will continue to engage in the flawed recruitment process.
Justice Ejembi Eko stated that the executive has found that placing their candidates on the State Judicial Service Commission (SJSC), Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), and National Judicial Council (NJC) through the heads of court provides a guarantee “for winning elections” via the judiciary.
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He expressed concerns about the improper recruitment process, the financial struggles of judges, and the judiciary, which pose a real existential threat to the rule of law in Nigeria.
Justice Ejembi Eko suggested that limiting the extensive powers of heads of court will ensure a fair recruitment process.
He advocated for judges to elect one among themselves for a term who is the most suitable and capable administrator and manager of available personnel and resources, emphasising that appointments of heads of court should not solely be based on seniority, and productivity, integrity, and learning should be the determining factors, not just seniority.
In response to the situation, he conveyed, “The most corrupt judges are, at most times, from the middle and upper class.”