It’s Unconstitutional To Build Houses For Judges – Afam Osigwe

The President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), has said building houses and buying cars for judges is unconstitutional.

Osigwe said such acts, whether they are for ulterior motives or not, demean the judiciary. He noted that no member of the executive arm of government builds a house for legislators.

The NBA President, who stated this in an interview on Thursday with News Central, explained that houses, cars and all the judiciary officers need should be included in the fiscal year budget of the judiciary.

He further described it as a humiliation of the judiciary and taking away the independence of the third arm of government by the executive arm.

“In any situation where a governor gathers judges or brings a chief judge or any person whatsoever to display to the public that he’s giving them cars as if he’s doing them a favour, it is condemnable.

“That he’s building courtrooms or quarters for them, it is unconstitutional, It is demeaning and it takes away from the independence of the judiciary.

‘If the judiciary needs cars, if they need houses for the judiciary officers, if they need courtrooms, if they need anything it should be put in the budget of the judiciary and judiciary should be able to manage their funds and acquire those things.

“No member of the executive should do that for them, because they don’t do it for the legislature. Judiciary should not be subjected to such humiliation,” he said.

The NBAPresident also condemned acts of starving the judiciary of funds by the executive arm to exert control on judges.

“Willfully manipulating the finances of the judiciary as a way of asserting or exerting control. It’s a show of power. Starve the judiciary of funds, make them beg for funds, tighten the screw, starve them of financial air so that they will not be too active,” he added.