Press Release
Most Nigerians are convinced that President Muhammadu Buhari is serious about fighting corruption in order to salvage Nigeria and Nigerians. He made this commitment to Nigerians in the course of his campaign for the mandate of Nigerians to be their President in 2015. Principally on the basis of this and his antecedents of uprightness and high moral pedestal, he received overwhelming mandate of Nigerians to become President. He made similar commitment to the G-7 Summit in Germany recently and anchored his visit to the United States of America on the same premise. He was roundly acknowledged, commended and offered solidarity and support by the G7 and American Government to achieve his anti-corruption objectives and targets.
It is on the basis of this that we urge him as a friendly opposition party, that also committed ourselves to a constructive engagement, to his government, to turn his attention to the Judiciary at this point in time. Nigerian Judiciary is so corrupt that it will frustrate his efforts as it has always done in any attempt to bring corrupt public officers, companies and other citizens to justice. We recommend very strongly that a searchlight be beamed on immediate and past Judicial Officers on whose judicial pronouncements by way of judgments and orders smack of travesty of justice and whose lifestyle
and acquisitions do not conform with the legitimate earnings of such officers. This will go a long way to serve as a punitive measure against corruption in the Judiciary and make Judicial misconduct unattractive, unprofitable and disgraceful.
We believe no new law or amendment of existing laws is required to embark on this important and crucial aspect of sanitizing the Nigerian society and restoring discipline and morality in Nigeria.
We are advising on this initiative because we observed with frustration how the efforts of the EFCC, ICPC, the Nigeria Police, and the Department of Security Service (DSS) have been rendered ineffective by the Judicial arm of Government.
Beneficiaries and perpetrators of corruption in Nigeria are vicious, dangerous and subversive. The fight against corruption must be holistic and decisive if the cankerworm must be excised from the fabric of our society permanently.
CHIEF CHEKWAS OKORIE
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, UPP
