'Selective application of rule of law undermines independence, judicial integrity'

• Published date: 24 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Justice sector stakeholders and members of the civil societies converged in Lagos last week at a media briefing organised by the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The event tagged 'Failed Promises: Corruption in the Water, Health and Education sectors in Nigeria', was held at the Shoregate Hotels, Joel Ogunnaike Street, GRA, Ikeja.

70 FoI requests, 60 public interest litigations filed in 2022

Its Deputy Director Oluwadare Kolawole disclosed that in pursuit of SERAP's legal advocacy to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, SERAP issued more than 70 freedom of information requests in 2022, filed more than 60 public interest lawsuits against the Federal Government, the National Assembly and state governments, out of which 22 were filed in 2022 - majorly calling on government to be accountable to the people, by living up to government's statutory responsibilities.

Oluwadare noted that progress on some of these public interest cases has understandably been slow due largely to the challenges confronting our justice system. He expressed hope that Justice would prevail.

SERAP, according to him, obtained several ground-breaking judgments which he said the Federal Government persistently failed and or refused to implement.

'The failure and/or refusal to enforce and implement legally-binding judgments of court is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with Nigeria's international human rights obligations.

'The persistent and deliberate disobedience of judges' decisions would, ultimately, encourage impunity and corruption', he said.

Rule of law, judicial integrity undermined

Oluwadare said government's disdain for the rule of law is illustrated by the tendency to pick and choose which court orders it complies with. He said this selective application of the rule of law invariably undermines the independence and integrity of the judiciary, and is counter-productive to the government's own fight against corruption.

Concern over rising poverty rate, socio economic inequality

He said SERAP is seriously concerned about the rising rate of poverty and socioeconomic inequality. According to him, a recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) contained damning revelations that some 133 million Nigerians are poor, despite the government reportedly spending N500 billion yearly on social investment programmes.

He said the rising poverty rate is an obvious result of many years of corruption and mismanagement of the...