Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, has said Nigeria cannot achieve peace and stability without justice and accountable institutions, warning that fabricated judgments and compromised institutions have eroded public confidence.
Speaking on the state of governance and justice in Nigeria, Okutepa described himself as an apostle of purity of justice.
“I am an apostle of the purity of justice. There cannot be peace where justice is denied to the people. There is no need for pretending. Nigerians need justice,” he said.
He lamented that the manner in which judgments are delivered has damaged the system.
“The way we have practised, produced and delivered judgments based on fabricated facts not rooted in the truth of the cases has destroyed people’s confidence in the systems we operate,” he stated.
Okutepa said the country has become tolerant of illegitimate practices being legitimised with false narratives.
“We have become so tolerant of fabricated stories and facts used to legitimise otherwise illegitimate practices and processes. That is why the fundamental principles of law are shaking, and things are falling apart,” he said.
According to him, the trend is influencing younger generations who are copying crooked ways faster than ever, with many in a fast lane to live flamboyantly, while morality has left governance.
“Most crooked people use crooked means to retain power and misuse it for selfish purposes,” he noted, adding that some parents now encourage children to engage in unusual and unethical behaviour to earn money.
The Senior Advocate said accountability remains a major challenge across all levels of society.
“Most people in government hate accountability. Most people in positions of authority are not accountable for their actions, and nobody is ready to hold them accountable. Most Nigerians, whether in or out of government, hate accountability too. That is the truth and reality,” he said.
He added that many who should be in prison are not, because citizens aid and abet corrupt politicians to earn a living.
Okutepa said Nigeria has failed to build strong independent institutions, noting that recruitment processes have been skewed and political manipulation has destroyed checks and balances.
“Take the Nigerian Police and other security agencies, for instance. They appear more loyal to those in power than to the people of Nigeria, or even to Nigeria as a state,” he said.
“Most officers in security agencies owe allegiance to those who can provide them with a means of survival rather than to the people of Nigeria, who should, in reality, weigh more heavily on their minds than those in power.”
He called for a retracing of steps to build a nation united in purpose where oppression has no place.
“For us to progress as a nation, therefore, we must retrace our steps and start building a nation united in purpose, where no man or woman is oppressed. We must build a nation founded on love, not wickedness,” he said.
“We must build a nation of accountability, where those in power are not political emperors and tyrants, but servant leaders who respect the people.”
He stressed the need for institutions that deliver immediate justice and respect for honourable service after retirement.
“We must build institutions of justice that provide immediate access to justice and remedies for victims of wrongdoing. We must not tolerate intolerable misconduct on the altar of political expediency,” Okutepa said.
He warned that building politics on constitutional violations and using compromised justice institutions to legitimise them breeds instability.
“A situation in which we build political interests on constitutional sacrilege and use compromised institutions of justice to stamp them with legitimacy cannot produce the constitutional stability needed for democratic growth and development. It only breeds democratic rascals and rascalities, to the detriment of peace and stability.”
Okutepa said Nigerians desire peace, good governance and a democracy where the people are supreme.
“Nigerians want peace and good governance. Nigerians want a conducive democracy and stability in which the people are supreme over those in power. We should build a nation where people matter and are at the centre and heart of governance,” he said.
“Let us value merit and integrity. What you know should matter more than whom you know. Let the sons and daughters of nobody become somebody without knowing anybody in power. This is my appeal to all of us.”
