NBA President Blasts Gov El-Rufai Over Industrial Court Comments

The NBA President has condemned comments by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai against the Nigerian judiciary.

Governor El-Rufai was on Wednesday quoted as describing Nigeria’s judicial system as a pathetic system that sides more with crooks than the innocent.

Mr Elrufai said this during an interview on Sunrise Daily on Channels TV on Monday.

He noted that the government of Kaduna State has not been able to convict people that stole state funds because courts are making it difficult to convict people.

“In Kaduna State, the corruption perception is much lower than in other states. We have taken measures. We have made examples of people in public service. We have sacked those that were found to be fiddling with public funds.

We are prosecuting them, we have not convicted anybody because the judicial system is just pathetic—is too slow and in my view often on the side of the crooks rather than on the side of the government or the innocents,” he said.

He added that one of the biggest mistakes Nigeria made was setting up the National Industrial Court. He cited instances where the court freed people accused of corruption.

However, in a swift reaction, the NBA President, Maikyau SAN in an interview with Arise TV described El-Rufai’s comments as irresponsible and reckless.

Maikyau added that El-Rufai has had criminal cases against him in the past, and referred to a criminal case against him before the FCT High Court years ago in which the Kaduna Governor was discharged and acquitted on the basis of a no-case submission.

“That case went in his favour. Going by his reasoning, should we now say the judiciary discharged and acquitted him in that case because he is a crook?” The NBA President asked.

According to Maikyau, the Judiciary dispenses justice on the basis of what is presented before it.

He stated that it is absolutely wrong for anyone to try to undermine the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary in the manner done by El-Rufai, and said the NBA will strongly resist such attempts.

Maikyau added that the NBA will issue a letter of demanding requiring El-Rufai to withdraw the statement and issue an apology or risk being sued after he leaves office on the 30th of May, 2023.