A retiring justice of the Supreme Court, Musa Dattijo Muhamma, says the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN) has been vested with too much powers, without checks and balances.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria is Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Dattijo spoke on Friday at a valedictory session organised in his honour by the Supreme Court.
He gave an indication that all was not well among members of the Supreme Court judges.
He said, “As presently structured, the CJN is chairman of the NJC, which oversees both the appointment and discipline of judges. He is equally chair of the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), the National Judicial Institute (NJI), the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) that appoints Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
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“In my considered opinion, the oversight functions of these bodies should not rest on an individual alone. A person with absolute powers, it is said, corrupts easily and absolutely.
“As chair of NJC, FJSC, NJI and LPPC, appointments as council, board and commitment members are at his pleasure.
“He neither confers with fellow justices nor seek their counsel or input on any matter related to these bodies. He has both the final and the only say.
“The CJN has power to appoint 80 percent of members of the council and 60 percent of members of FJSC. The same applies to NJI and LPPC.
“Such enormous powers are effortlessly abused. This needs to change. Continued denial of the existence of this threatening anomaly weakens effective judicial oversight in the country.” he said.
On the current composition of the bench of the apex court, Justice Muhammad alleged that the refusal to fill the vacant slot of South East on the apex court bench was deliberate, blaming it on “absolute powers vested in the office of the CJN.”
He said with his retirement, the North Central zone, which he represented, would no longer have a Justice on the Supreme Court bench.
