Governor Wike and the Law

In River State, the administration of justice is
undergoing historical overhaul. Governor Nyesom Wike,
who had himself experienced firsthand why justice is as
important as the law, if not more important, is ensuring
that justice is swift and smooth for all in the state.
His travails after the last general elections have
brought home to him the imperative of justice if
democracy is to take firm roots in the country.
But it also taught him a lesson. And that is – justice can
never be taken for granted. No one must assume he
would win a case because his case is good. It takes the
officers of the law to make a good case truly good. That
is why judges are a special group. They hold the scale of
justice, and can weigh you down or lift you up –
sometimes, sadly, just depending on their mood!
That is why a country needs to take care of the Bench.
The conflicting judgments from the courts in recent
months is clear testimony that the bench holds the ace
if democracy is to survive.
Governor Wike is keenly aware of this, and his
administration has found ways of helping the law deliver
justice. And one of the ways, as demonstrated recently,
is to make judicial officers comfortable enough to make it
difficult to pervert the course of justice. As a
demonstration of this, Wike gave out 57 Honda cars to
magistrates in the state. At the ceremony, the governor
said he gave them the vehicles to provide enabling
environment for the magistrates to “dispense justice
according to the law.”

Moving forward, Wike also acquired 4.1 hectares of land
at the Port Harcourt GRA for the construction of
suitable residential quarters for judges in the state. This
is aside other perks of office the Wike administration has
approved for judicial officers in the state.
At the ceremony, Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice
Adama Iyayi-Lamikanran, commended the governor and
said the gesture would enhance the dispensation of
justice in the state. She urged the magistrates and
other judicial officers to reciprocate Wike’s gesture by
putting in their best, while noting that providing such
enabling environment at a time of financial distress, was
a testimony to the governor’s belief in the law as a
means of attaining justice.
If truth be told, provision of cars or housing, or even
jumbo pay for judges would on their own lead to better
dispensation of justice. The Wike administration’s desire
to rid Rivers of cultism will only succeed with the
cooperation of judiciary and the law enforcement
agencies. Cult-clashes and other cult-related violence
have posed some security challenges for the state,
especially Port Harcourt.
It is heart-warming that the governor has demonstrated
exemplary determination to stem the tide and restore
sanity to the state. Towards this end, he has given the
necessary support to law enforcement agencies in the
state to enable them tackle the menace of cultism.
According to him, the protection of the residents of the
state is paramount for his administration.
At a function recently, he said: “I have provided the
required support and logistics to the security agencies
to tackle these cultists. Nobody remotely involved will be
spared. No cultist will go free.”
But that is only one part of the equation. The other
part is the prosecution of offenders. This is where the
judiciary is central and critical. Wike knows he needs the
courts to be swift and smooth in delivering justice.
The activities of the cult groups have usually
compromised security during elections and public events.
As a result, Governor Wike has come under tremendous
national pressure to stem the tide and change the
narrative, a call he has heeded with uncommon passion.
Nothing will demonstrate goodwill by the judiciary than
to rise up to the occasion by being swift, decisive and
impartial in handling cases relating to cult matters in the
state. The governor has lived up to his social contract
with the judiciary by looking to their welfare; therefore,
the Bench should shun any form of indolence.
River is a beloved state to many Nigerians. Now that
Wike has laid his cards on the table, those who would
play with him must demonstrate similar integrity and
resourcefulness. Justice must not be delayed or denied.
It is what Rivers need. It is what Rivers should get.