By Street news media
President Bola Tinubu sworn in Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
The swearing in took place on Friday at the presidential Villa Abuja.
Kekere-Ekun becomes the second female justice to hold the esteemed position.
During the ceremony, Tinubu emphasized the importance of an independent judiciary, urging Kekere-Ekun to defend the institution’s autonomy and promote transparency. He also pledged his administration’s commitment to judiciary reform, including increased funding and support for judicial officers.
On her part, Kekere-Ekun, vowed to tackle corruption and discipline within the judiciary. She pledged to restore public trust and confidence in the institution, ensuring that the judiciary remains a beacon of hope for Nigerians.
In a press release issued shortly after the ceremony which was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, former CJN Justice Mahmud Mohammed, and senior judicial officers, the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity Chief Ajuri Ngelale disclosed that judiciary under the Tinubu’s administration will continue to receive prompt and adequate attention, recognizing its status as a driver of social order, rule of law, peace, security and economic development.
He noted that with Kekere-Ekun at the helm, Nigerians expect a new era of transparency and accountability in the judiciary.
”Undoubtedly, the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria comes with enormous responsibilities as the head of all judicial institutions in the country. It is a position of considerable influence that demands temperance and sobriety.
”The occupant of the office must exude the highest level of integrity in the discharge of their duties. This is more so because of the finality of the Supreme Court’s judgments.
”I, therefore, urge your Lordship to be faithful and loyal to the Constitution when discharging your duty as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
”I also encourage you to defend the judiciary’s independence and always promote the cause of justice. It is vital that you strengthen all mechanisms for integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judicial sector, and pursue other reforms or initiatives to sustain and build public confidence in the judiciary”. – The president said.
Speaking to the media after the swearing-in, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria pledged to elevate the judiciary to new heights, improve its reputation, and sustain public confidence in the judicial system.
”We will make sure that people have more confidence in the judiciary, and I believe that it is not a one-man job. We all have to be on board because we all see the areas that are in need of improvement.
”I believe that there will be maximum cooperation because we all want to see a better judiciary.
”A better judiciary is for the benefit of the entire nation. Whatever the shortcomings that we see today are, we are all members of the society so, if we want to see a better society, if we want to see improvement, let the improvement start with each and every one of us and our approach to justice.
”Let us all have faith in the system and then also be particular about the process of appointment, I know it is a source of a lot of concern; the issue of discipline on the bench and at the bar as well.
”All of these things are aspects that we will look into and I believe that by the grace of God, at the end of my tenure, we should be able to have a judiciary that we will all be proud of,” the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria said.
