Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike says the Supreme Court is to be blamed for the delay in resolving the disagreement over the Value Added Tax (VAT) between the state and the Federal Government.
Wike, spoke yesterday at the presentation of a book entitled: Contemporary Essays on Law & Practice in honour of retired Justice Anwuri Ichegbu Chikere of the Federal High Court, where he labelled the action of the apex court as lethargic.
Wike also ranted at the National Judicial Council (NJC) for allegedly becoming a willing tool to intimidate judges.
“While the entire country is waiting for its speedy resolution in the national interest, the Supreme Court of Nigeria remains lethargic in hearing this very important matter, thereby unjustifiably aiding the Federal Government to continue to enforce its illegal and oppressive VAT policy on the polity,” Wike said.
He further said judicial independence suffered greatly when judges were subjected to summary trials and preconceived indictments by the NJC on the promptings of persons or parties with a vested interest in the outcome of the litigation processes.
His words: “By doing so, the National Judicial Council (NJC) may be joining the league of unholy forces now assailing the independence and reputation of judicial officers across the country.
“My candid opinion is that the National Judicial Council must tread with utmost caution in matters of judicial complaints and discipline lest it wittingly or unwittingly turns itself into another bully to be feared rather than being respected in its roles as both the headmaster and guardian angel of the nation’s judiciary,” he said.
The governor said without a strong, independent and functional judiciary, no nation could be seen and reckoned with to be free, fair and just.
