Odinkalu Slams Nigeria’s Chief Justice For Attending Flag-off Ceremony Of Judges’ Quarters Construction On Revoked Julius Berger Land
Professor Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights activist and lawyer, has criticized Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, for attending the flag-off ceremony of judges’ quarters construction on land previously allocated to Julius Berger.
The land was unilaterally revoked by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Wike claimed the land was revoked due to Julius Berger’s failure to develop the land for over 20 years.
However, Odinkalu’s concern lies in the potential implications of this revocation on the Nigerian Judiciary’s reputation, should Julius Berger decide to challenge the decision.
“My Lord, let me bring to your notice. You have seen this land here. When we were looking for where to get land to build. I was driving around looking for empty land and I got here and saw this empty land,” Wike said during the flag-off of the construction on Monday.
“I saw the big post: ‘Julius Berger’. I didn’t talk. I called the director of lands (and asked him): who owns that land? And he said: Julius Berger. When was it allocated? He said about 15, 20 years ago. 15, 20 years ago? Nothing has been done? I didn’t bother.
“So, I invited the MD (Managing Director of) Julius Berger. He came and we had dinner. I didn’t talk about the land. The next day, he was in the office and he saw the revocation letter as a matter of public interest.”
The event was attended by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem; among other dignitaries.
The controversy surrounding this move has sparked heated debates, with some hailing Wike’s decision as a bold move to provide housing for judges, while others see it as an abuse of power and a potential threat to the independence of the judiciary.
This development raises important questions about the balance of power, judicial independence, and the rule of law in Nigeria.
But reacting to the attendance of the CJN to the event, Odinkalu, who is a fierce critic of the rot in the Nigerian Judiciary, took to his X handle to lambast the CJN.
He wrote: “Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister unilaterally revoked Julius Berger’s land, gave it up for construction of judges quarters, invited the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to flag off the construction of the project and the CJN went. The CJN went, is the problem.
“What confidence would Julius Berger have in the judiciary if it intends to challenge the revocation at the courts when the CJN herself went to flag off the construction?”
He cited Revised code of conduct for judicial officers of the federal republic of Nigeria, Rule 2.8 Judicial Code of Conduct which stated:
“A Judge shall avoid developing excessively close relationship with frequent litigants – such as govt ministers or their officials…., – if such relationship could reasonably create an appearance of partiality.”
