CJN Swears-In 21 New SANs

The new SANs who were sworn in on Monday are Prof. Maxwell Gidado, Dr Tahir Mamman, Dr Akinpelu Onigbinde, Prof. Paul Idornigie, Dr Oladapo Olanipekun, Dr Muiz Banire, Ibrahim Bawa, Samuel Zibiri and Aderibgbe Adedeji.

Others are Emmanuel Aguma, Emeka Etiaba, Abinbola Akeredolu, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, Gordy Uche, Uchechukwu Obi, Kehinde Eleja, Edward Ashiekaa, Joseph Bamigboye, Benson Nwankwo, Patrick Okolo and Adeniyi Adegbonmire.

The CJN who urged the new SANs to avoid corrupt practices to promote service delivery and fair judgment, also stressed the need for more result-oriented steps to substantially reduce the procedural clogs in Nigeria’s judicial system.

Justice Mohammed said, “The time has come for us all legal practitioners to be grounded in justice delivery, in seeking to uphold the rule of law, judicial reform and the end to corruption.

“There is, therefore, an urgent need to address the speed of justice dispensation and the backlog of cases pending in our various courts.

“Frivolous appeals should ideally not continue to clog our courts’ cause lists thereby causing undue delays and backlog, ‘’ he warned.

Mohammed added that justice was indeed the essential ingredient on which Nigeria was founded, the lack of which had sadly seen the nation `brought to its knees by impunity’.

Responding on behalf of the new SANs, Edward Ashiekaa, said the rank of SAN was most prestigious and dignifying.

He said, “We appreciate the onerous and big responsibility placed on us. It is our responsibility to provide good and quality leadership at the bar, particularly to the young lawyers.

“In the years ahead, our lifestyles and actions will speak louder than words as we demonstrate the integrity, higher level of competence and diligence expected of us.

“We urge a more surplus assessment, merit-driven and diligent consideration of appointees to the bench”