The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has stated Nigeria requires the services of judges who are God fearing and guided solely by their conscience and the law.

Ariwoola said: “Nigeria, as we all can see and feel, is currently plagued with myriad of problems that require our sincere and honest interventions as judicial officers.

“We hear of corruptions of various forms, killings, kidnappings, armed robbery, banditry, and all forms of terrorism against the state and Individual citizens.

“Most often, these cases find their way to the court for the right and proper adjudication.

“At the crossroads that we have found ourselves in Nigeria today, we are earnestly and passionately looking for a crop of judicial officers, who will be role-models that can confidently hoist the banner of honesty, integrity and uprightness.

“The current state of affairs in the country needs nothing short of that,” he said.

Ariwoola spoke in Abuja while swearing-in the Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Stanley Adekunle Lawal.

The CJN urged Justice Lawal to, among others, conduct himself decently, abstain from unmerited material possessions and ensure that he did not betray the trust reposed in him by Nigerians.

“You must endeavour to prove your adjudicatory and administrative ingenuity to earn a lasting reputation in the annals of the Nigerian Judiciary.

“At the lower rung of the judicial ladder, you are there to represent our interest and crystalize the image of the Nigerian Judiciary by doing justice to all matters that come before your lordship.

“A lure with unmerited material possessions will not only weaken your reputation but equally impair your sense of judgment.

“That is not my wish for your Lordship anyway. However, you should always be very careful and vigilant too.

“In everything you do in the course of adjudicating, you must consult your God, the Constitution and your conscience.

“Always have at the back of your mind, as I believe you had always, that at every point of your life, someone somewhere is right behind you and taking note of all your conduct.

“We often hear of all manners of underhand dealings by some judicial officers, especially at the lowest rung of the ladder.

“I will like your lordship to remember that destiny has placed this enormous responsibility on your shoulders to lead your brother Judges and the entire Staff of the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory.

“You must not fail and you must not falter,” the CJN said.

THE NATION