A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Journalists Against Corruption (JAC) has commended the judiciary for upholding the rule of law and saving our democracy from those it described as “desperate political predators”.
JAC spoke against the backdrop of last Friday’s decision of the Supreme Court that dismissed the suit filed by 19 states governments, led by Kogi State, challenging the constitutionality of the laws that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
However, in a unanimous decision, a full panel of seven justices of the Supreme Court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit and affirmed the legality of the laws that set up the anti-corruption agencies.
A statement issued by JAC’s Programme Coordinator, Kehinde Osifisan, said “the judiciary has once again risen to the occasion as the stabiliser of our democracy and saved the nation from political predators.”
The statement reads in part, “A silent revolution took place in our country last Friday when a full panel of the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the laws that set up anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU.
“That singular decision has restored the hope of most Nigerians in the judiciary and shown that it is the stabiliser of our nation’s democracy. Perhaps, we would appreciate better what the Supreme Court has done by that singular decision if we imagined for a moment what the implications would have been had the decision gone the other way.
“A special commendation goes to the Honourable Justice Uwani Abba-Aji-led panel for its courage and forthrightness in upholding the rule of law and serving the cause of justice.”
The group urged the anti-corruption agencies to intensify the fight against corruption and other vices that have plagued the nation and stunted its development.
“Now that the Supreme Court has removed the clog on the wheel of the fight against corruption, the anti-corruption agencies must redouble their efforts and rededicate themselves to the onerous task of reducing corruption to the barest minimum in every facet of our national life.
“The anti-corruption agencies must now beam their search lights on the states that wanted to emasculate them. They must also look at their collaborators and the turncoats who tried to use their positions and influence to obfuscate the correct position of the law. They must have something to hide,” the group added.
