The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, announced on Friday that the Supreme Court now has the fewest Justices in its history.
According to him, the apex court has only 10 Justices on its bench to tackle the heavy workload of pending cases.
Justice Ariwoola remarked on the occasion of retirement of Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed who today achieved the statutory retirement age of 70 years.
The CJN, however, stated that efforts are in top gear to raise a substantial Justices to the bench of the Court.
On Friday, Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, declared that the Supreme Court currently has the fewest Justices in its history.
According to him, the Supreme Court has just 10 Justices on its bench to deal with the large number of outstanding cases.
Justice Ariwoola spoke on the occasion of Justice Musa Dattijo Mohammed’s retirement, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 years today.
The CJN, on the other hand, noted that efforts are underway to appoint a significant number of Justices to the Court’s bench.
“With Justice Musa Dattijo’s departure today, and the retirement of Hon. Justice Adamu Amina Augie a few weeks ago, we are now down to just 10 Justices on the Supreme Court Bench.”
“However, I can confidently assure all the litigant public that efforts are in top gear to get on board a sizeable number of Justices to boost our rank and complement the tremendous effort we have been investing in the business of the Court.”
“My Lord Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, in whose honour we assemble here today, is an epitome of jurisprudential finesse; an insuperable lion with an irrepressible voice in the temple of justice,” said the CJN.
“We are here to identify with an accomplished jurisprudential iconoclast who has contributed the best of his intellect to the advancement of the legal profession through his several years of unblemished and incontrovertible adjudications at various levels of Nigerian Courts.”
“By all accounts, His Lordship has made an indelible mark on the revered history books of the Nigerian judiciary as that gallant and eminent Justice on the Supreme Court bench who held sway in the discharge of his judicial functions.”
“As the Supreme Court’s second-in-command, my Lord, Justice Dattijo, skillfully aided and supported me in virtually every sphere of administration.” He exemplifies hard labor, industry, discipline, and moral rectitude.
“He willingly offered every support and encouragement that any leader would always wish to receive from a deputy in order to effectively navigate the often stormy waters of court administration.”
“As a result of this event commemorating his 70th birthday anniversary, the time has come for him to retire as a Judicial Officer.” Immediately following this Court session, a new page in my Lord’s life will eventually open, which His Lordship and a completely other collection of persons, that fate had already collected along the route of his second phase of life, will begin to write on.
“He is, indeed, a priceless jewel and an icon worthy of adoration and celebration.”
“His Lordship is one judicial officer who can be blunt, even to a fault; and is never known to be afraid to say things the way they are; and is also never afraid to call a spade by its name, regardless of whose ox is gored.”
“Through his demeanor and conduct, His Lordship has succeeded in erecting an edifice of hope and optimism in the minds of his legions of admirers; and even generations yet unborn who will be privileged to access and behold his great works in the judicial landscape that have already been well-documented and prominently displayed on the shelves of various libraries around the world.”
“My Lord, before I conclude my speech, I want to encourage you to cherish and enjoy every moment of your life because, in most cases, this ceremony we are all witnessing today will never happen again in your lifetime.” We wish you a happy 70th birthday from the bottom of our hearts and wish you good luck and God’s grace in whatever you do.”
