The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Muhammad Tanko has sworn in six newly appointed judges of the Federal High Court and one judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court. The newly sworn-in Federal High Court judges are Emmanuel Gakko, Musa Sulaiman Liman, Aminu Garba, Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman, Ahmad Gama Mahmud, and Segun-Bello Mabel Taiye while the FCT High Court judge is Joseph Adebayo Aina.
Addressing the judges at the swearing-in ceremony which was held at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja on Wednesday, the CJN advised the judges to desist from forming an “unholy alliance with people of questionable character” especially as the 2023 general elections draw closer.
He said, “There is nothing we have not seen or heard of before, but you should be ready to see and hear more, especially as we approach election season in 2023.
“Even though I rejoice with you on this very important appointment, I still sympathize with you for the many troubles, inconveniences, verbal assaults, and all sorts of uncomplimentary remarks that may be made about you by various litigants in the course of your adjudication, especially if your conscience is not controlling your conduct.
“We are all humans, no doubt, but you must display the humanism in you by doing those extraordinary things that people would say you cannot do. That is what distinguishes those with integrity and passion for success from those with unenviable pedigree and dysfunctional moral compass.”
The CJN also said, “appointment to the bench is not an appointment to affluence, influence” and further warned the judges against unmerited wealth and dishonest disposition.
According to him, “The National Judicial Council (NJC) will never rest on its oars in fishing out the bad eggs within the judiciary at all times. You can only run but certainly won’t have the capacity to hide from the long arm of our disciplinary apparatus. Never should you engage in any activities that may make you regret ever being a judicial officer.”