The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has charged the newly inaugurated Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to drive transformative change in the judiciary.
Agbakoba made the charge in a statement yesterday, saying, “it’s not about swearing in. It’s about whether we will see radical reforms finally .”
He stated that the new CJN has a unique opportunity to leave a lasting legacy by driving transformational and radical reforms.
Agbakoba stressed that the focus must be on case management, which should be the driving force behind how our courts work.
He emphasised that the judiciary is facing numerous challenges, including delays and inefficiencies, and that the call for reform has become increasingly urgent.
Agbakoba said: “The last great reform the CJN had was by the Late Dahiru Musdapher, who unfortunately had only six months in office.”
He recalled the efforts of the late Musdapher, who had initiated far-reaching reforms during his brief tenure in 2012.
“Despite setting up a 29-person committee that produced a transformation report, the reforms were abandoned after his departure,” he lamented.
Agbakoba’s statement has resonated with many in the legal community, who are eager to see meaningful change under the new CJN’s leadership.
As Justice Kekere-Ekun begins her tenure, all eyes are on her to deliver the transformational reform that has been promised for so long.
The question now is, will she rise to the challenge and leave a lasting legacy, or will the opportunity for change once again slip away?