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‘INEC should follow NBA’s example in election conduct’

Oladapo Oluwole Ajisegiri, a native of Ile-Ife, Ife-East Local Government Area in Osun State, obtained his LL.B at the Obafemi  Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Ajisegiri who was called to Bar in 2016 shares his litigation experience with JOHN CHIKEZIE

 

Background

 

I am Oladapo Oluwole Ajisegiri, a native of Ile-ife, Ife-East Local Government in Osun State. My primary school education was at Seventh Day Adventist Primary School, Ede Osun State.

 

I had my Secondary Education at Ilori International High School, Ede, Osun State. I proceeded to Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State where I bagged an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communications. I obtained my LL.B at Obafemi Awolowo University in 2015 and graduated from Kano Law School with a BL. I was called to the Nigeria Bar in year 2016.

Why Law?

 

I have always been a commercial student in my secondary school days, but there was a time I came in contact with a calendar having the pictures and some of the achievements of Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory.

 

Since then, I started nursing the ambition of becoming a lawyer so that I can touch lives around me by protecting the rights of the weak, vulnerable and “endangered human species” in my world.

 

Specialization

 

I do Corporate and Commercial Law and General Litigation, particularly Labour and Employment law, Human Rights Law and criminal Litigation. I got my first work experience at Messrs Country Chambers at Suit 98, 99, Trinity House, Mabushi, Abuja.

 

The solid foundation I got from the law firm has kept me going in the profession. I later worked as a Judicial Assistant to Honourable Justice H.M.A Ogunwumiju JCA (as she then was, now Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria).

 

Working with My lord was another worthwhile exposure for me. Then, I joined the law firm of Messrs Abope Chambers where I work till date.

 

Evaluation of judiciary

I believe the judiciary is still evolving no matter the achievements in the past five or even ten years. Moreso, every society, group or individual keep striving for what they think is ideal.

The scale for measuring an ideal judiciary, in my view, is the length or extent to which justice can be done and can be seen to have been done.

 

This, therefore, touches on how much corruption can be dealt with in the delivery of justice. We have to take note that when we talk of a corrupt judicial system, it doesn’t have to do with judges alone.

 

A corrupt judiciary is a product of a corrupt system and a corrupt system is a product of you and I including any government in power. In other words, I believe the reliance of the Judiciary on the Executive in order to pay judges’ salaries and their workers, encourages corruption in our judicial system. it is interwoven. We are all humans and the judges a   not different. He who pays the piper dictates the tune.

 

So he who pays the judges salary and the judicial workers salary can influence and/ or threaten them if they refuse to do his wish.

 

What I’m saying is that there is no system without a rot, all we do is to improve.

 

So to me, the autonomy and particularly, financial autonomy of the Judiciary is important to reduce the level or possibility of having a corrupt judiciary.

2021 court vacation

 

No doubt, the justice system in Nigeria has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, #EndSARS protest and the industrial action by judicial workers.

 

This has subsequently occasioned the delay in justice delivery.

 

But before addressing the issue of judges vacation, I want to quickly refer to an example made by a revered Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who delivered a lecture on examination of witnesses at the ongoing 8-Day Civil Litigation Training organized by NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education (NBA-ICLE). He said he has a

 

 

 

matter that has been ongoing for 9 years now and the judge has just been promoted, meaning the case starts denovo. I think there are more issues to address on the issue of delayed justice than focusing on judges vacation alone. I am sure the judiciary may decide to abridge the period of their vacation in the interest of the nation.

 

But in my view, there are more issues affecting justice delivery in the nation at the present time than the issue of judges’ vacation. Moreso, I read over the news that the Lagos State Judiciary may have a shorter vacation period and I know some other states may do the same.

 

This still does not solve all the problems facing the judiciary. I have worked with a presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal and I know from personal experience that Judges are trying.

 

Recently, a judge even said that during the JUSUN strike, she was able to write more judgements, meaning that she was working during the strike. I know they are trying but in the interest of the nation, they can still consider and reduce the period of their vacation.

 

However, there are other factors that should be of concern to stakeholders than judges’ vacation like the example I gave earlier.

NBA elections

I believe the last election was better than all the ones I have witnessed. I am more fascinated by the use of internet where you just use your phone, wherever you are, to cast your vote.

Seriously, I will suggest to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to understudy how the last NBA election went. It’s a perfect example of how elections should be conducted in any sane society. I am not saying there are no issues at all, but in my view, it was better than what we used to have.

 

That someone lost is not a yardstick for declaring an election as fraudulent. At least someone must win and others will lose. What matters is whether we have improved significantly.

 

Death sentence for corrupt public officers

 

Corruption in the country has gone systemic. Yes, death penalty would deter other corrupt looters of public funds. But let’s look at it holistically, who would make such laws and who will enforce them? You and I or the Ndigbo Unity Forum World-wide (NUFW), no! it’s still left to the people we elected as our leaders.

 

No looter gets to position of power without our contributions. We put them there either by participating in electioneering processes or by failure to participate.

 

I support the NUFW advocating for a stiff penalty for public fund looters but whatever penalty suggested, if we don’t decide our fate by using our constitutional right to elect the right people, we would just be deceiving ourselves. It’s more or less like we are stabbing ourselves on the wrist and blowing air on it with our mouths.

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