Stand up against injustice, Senate charges acting A’Court President

Acting President, Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Stand up against injustice, Senate charges acting A’Court President-Mensem, has been charged to stand up against injustice in the judiciary, if eventually confirmed by the Senate as substantive President today.

Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, gave the charge on Wednesday when she appeared before the committee for screening as substantive President as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, NJC.

Specifically, chairman of the committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) in making the admonition, said the enthusiasm with which Nigerians greeted her nomination, respect the Senate had for it by suspending its rule for expeditious screening, should not be in vain if eventually confirmed.

He said: “You must demonstrate the required courageous leadership the judiciary deserve by standing up in fair and fearless manner by the Nigerian people when it comes to justice.

“Your Lordship must ensure that justice is not only delivered but in timely manner because justice delayed, is justice denied.

“It should not be business as usual, the very reason the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, is revisiting the budget of the judiciary which is less than one per cent of the N10.509trillion 2020 budget size for the country.”

Senator Bamidele added that the insignificant votes given the judiciary requires urgent and upward reviews.

He lamented further by stating that the welfare situation of the judicial officers, is nothing to write home about.

According to him, the last time salaries and emoluments of judicial officers were reviewed was in 2008, the benefits of which have been completely eroded by inflationary trends.

“This sector might go into extinction if the needful is not urgently done, because in years to come, Nigerians may no longer be interested in going into the sector,” he warned.

Virtually all the senators who attended the screening session from the Deputy Senate President to other members of the committee, described the nominee as a square peg nominated for fixing into a square hole.

Earlier in her introductory remarks,
Justice Dongban-Mensem, said she had spent 40 years in the judiciary from 1980 when she was called to bar and served in the Ministry of Justice and subsequently appointed as Registrar of the Court and made Magistrate few years after which culminated in her appointment as Judge of High Court in Plateau State in 1996.

The acting President added that she became judge of FCT High Court thereafter till 2003 when she was transferred her service to FCT Judiciary as Judge of FCT High Court till 2003 when invited to serve as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

“I’ve lived the substantial part of my life in the Judiciary and I have tremendous passion for its positive transformation, one of which is my intention of making the Court of Appeal ICT compliant when confirmed as substantive President.

“I also have a lot of compassion for fellow human being and a solution provider and not trouble maker,” she said.