FHC CJ Urges Judges ‘To Reflect’ On Their Lives As Colleague Passes On

Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, John Tsoho, has admonished judicial officers to be mindful of their behavior while discharging their duties and find moments to reflect on their lives.

Justice John Tsoho, who reminded everyone that there was an after life, made this known during the valedictory court session held in honor of Late Justice Ibrahim Watila, who died on Monday, January 25.

He said that since death was inevitable, it was necessary for legal practitioners and Nigerians at large to live in reverence and godly fear.

“My Lords, the family of Justice Watila, members of the legal profession and all sympathizers, we now have a need for reflection on the life of this learned gentleman, determined and dependable servant of our fatherland, who richly deserves our love and best wishes as he transits into immortality.

“His death is painful to accept, considering his age and the promise of a successful life ahead of him.

“We must however, not behave like unbelievers but always bear in our minds that death is inevitable. When it will come and how it will come, are situations beyond our control and imagination,” he said on Thursday.

On his part, the representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief J.K. Gadzama SAN, explained that the late justice whom he knew for about 30 years, was not an arrogant judge.

He said he modelled humility for the upcoming generation.

“Justice Watila was humble but firm, he was intelligent but not pompous.

“This session is a reminder to us that death is a shirt that everyone must wear.

“Everyone is empowered to make choices between good and bad,” he said.

The late judge hailed from Hawlu Local Government Area, Borno state.

He was appointed to the Federal High Court bench in 2015.