‘I Still Can’t Get Over It’: Solanke SAN, Condemns How Justice Onnoghen Was Removed As CJN

The first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Folake Solanke, has bared her mind on some issues about the legal profession.

In an interview with the Channels Television viewed by TheNigeriaLawyer (TNL), the learned silk said when she joined the profession in 1963 (about 56 years plus now), there was no whisper or allegation or suggestion of corruption but gradually, maybe about three decades ago, few accusations where heard at the Magistrate level then about two decades ago few accusations about the High Courts then about a decade ago again, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

“Is really something that grieves my soul that anybody could be speaking about the Judicial corruption anywhere. Anywhere now they talk about it as a normal lecture. I always say that not all judges are corrupt. There are some of them who Labour night and day to give their best and to make sure that judgments are based on evidence received and the applicable laws.” she said.

She added that at the time she joined the profession, “judges of the High Court were invited to come to the bench. Sitting judges would have observed them, knew about their reputation, observe them in the court room and they will advise them to come and join the bench.”

She said she was invited to come and join the bench in Lagos State also had the invitation to come to the High Court in Ibadan, Oyo State. But she was so enamored with Advocacy. She said in 1987 she was actually invited to come to the Court of Appeal but in giving it serious consideration she rejected the invitation because she didn’t have the “divine push” to leave advocacy for bench.

On the appointment of judges, the learned silk said “I think we should stop applications for the judgeship, that is what is going on now and it should not base on who your father is or who your mother is or where you come from. It should be purely knowledge and merit.”

She said there are lot of problems in the appointment of judges. Though from the High Court they go to the Court of Appeal they go the Supreme Court. Many are good and many are giving us concern.

Solanke, SAN believes that some matters like tenancy ought not to go to the Supreme Court. She said is important for the Supreme Court itself to engage in self-criticism, self-awareness, and self-assessment to address the loss of confidence of the people in the Supreme Court.

“That is where our salvation lies. The Supreme Court is there to make sure that this country is as it should be. So if anything goes wrong with the Supreme Court, we are in trouble. If anything goes wrong with the Courts, we are in trouble. Look at the way the for Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Onnoghen was removed. I am not advocating for anybody any wrongdoing, no, I am advocating serious breach of due process. The Chief Justice of Nigeria was removed on a nocturnal order of a Tribunal. The National Judicial Commission was never even involved and by the time they were involved it was too late I still cannot go over it that a CJN was removed on a nocturnal order of a tribunal. This is something that history is going to condemn and is going to be something that we must make sure doesn’t happen again”

She said some of the Law Enforcement Agencies regard lawyers as their enemies. She condemned the action of the “policemen or whoever” breaking into a Federal High Court to remove Sowore. “This is the greatest assault I have heard of on the rule of law. We must return to the respect for rule of law.”

She said right from Primary school, Secondary school and to the University level, standard of education has fallen. She said the curriculum of the Nigerian Law School belongs to the last Century not the 21st century. She advocated for updating of the curriculum, introduction of Information Technology because legal practice has become globalized