A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, has expressed worry about the situation in the country, saying it appears as if the country’s national vehicle has been in reverse gear since 1985.
In 1985, Nigeria was under the military dictatorship of General Ibrahim Babangida.
Justice Kolawole observed that since 1985 rather than improving, things are getting worse, while the younger generation of Nigerians find it impossible to believe when told about some of the good things that the older generation enjoyed.
The judge spoke on Friday in Lagos during a colloquium marking the 25th anniversary of a multi-service law firm, Kenna Partners.
The colloquium was with the theme, “Footprints in law and society, towards a paradigm shift”.
The occasion, which was chaired by the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief ‘Folake Solanke, had Justice Amina Augie of the Supreme Court as the keynote speaker, while a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia (SAN); the Chairman, National Lottery Regulation Commission, Mr Damian Dodo (SAN); and Mr Chukuka Chukuka of Resource Capital Limited were discussants.
Among other judges present were Justices Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and Yargata Nimpa of the Court of Appeal.
In his contribution, Justice Kolawole lamented the declining socio-economic status of the country and how the institutions were getting weaker.
He said, “By my own estimation, the Nigerian national vehicle has been in gear reverse may be since 1985, most likely, 1990.
“I say so because each time you meet the younger generation and you try to give them the narrative of what we went through in our university days, they will say it’s a lie; it’s just not possible.
“The question is: why are we, as a country, always looking back with nostalgia? What has existed before is being destroyed.”
He cited the example of the court, where it now takes much longer time to get justice compared to the past.
Justice Kolawole, who was only in June this year elevated from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal, said he was shocked to find, on his first day at the appellate court, that 26 cases were listed for hearing.
“As if that was not enough, they said we will sit on Fridays. And I said why? I didn’t sit on Fridays when I was at the Federal High Court. On Fridays, I delivered judgments and rulings. They said we have to sit because we have backlog of cases.
“I envisage that in about 10 years if something drastic does not happen, the entire system will collapse,” he said.
A major way around the problem of delayed justice in the country, Justice Kolawole said, was for more judges to be appointed.
He added that judges must use “their interpretative jurisdiction to address new developments in the society in order to make justice available to everybody.”
Solanke, in her contribution, bemoaned the falling standard of education in the country, advocating that 40 per cent should no longer be acceptable as pass mark in the schools.
“Fifty per cent and above, that is the pass mark. Below 50 is failure; that’s why people are not doing too well as graduates. Some graduates, when they speak, you will wonder whether they went to secondary school. We must do something about standard,” the eighty-six-year-old Solanke said.
She also urged the judges to help enforce the proper dress code for lawyers.
Justice Nimpa commended Kenna Partners for its attention to details, including in the dressing of the partners.
She said, “Most law firms today have no regard for the minute details of what it takes to be an honourable member of the legal profession. Some come to court dressed anyhow and they don’t care. But when Kenna Partners is particular about the colour of a lawyer’s shirt, the tie and the kind of shoes they wear, definitely, those shoes will take them places.”
The Principal Partners, Kenna Partners, Prof Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), linked the survival of the law firm for 25 years and its prosperity to the partners’ “dedication, expertise and commitment to excellence”.
