The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Lateef Ariwoola, on Friday swore in the new acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Stanley Adekunle Lawal.
At the ceremony, the CJN advised Justice Lawal to consult God, the Constitution and his conscience in the course of adjudication.
He stressed that judges must be wary of unmerited material possessions, adding that it could weaken their reputation and impair their sense of judgement.
Justice Ariwoola also told Justice Lawal that destiny had placed enormous responsibilities on his shoulders to lead his brother judges and staff of the court effectively.
“We hear of corruptions of various forms, killings, kidnappings, armed robbery, banditry and all forms of terrorism against the state and individual citizens. Most of these cases find their way to the court for the right and proper adjudication.”
‘You must not fail and you must not falter. Nigeria is 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.
He charged Justice Lawal to prove his adjudicatory and administrative ingenuity in order to earn a lasting reputation in the annals of Nigerian judiciary.
