Our toxic justice system.

by Eze Eluchie

As the Kenyan Supreme Court prepares to deliver its judgment today on the case challenging the victory of Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta during the elections held on 4^th March 2013 (barely 25 days ago), it gives all of us involved in the (in)justice delivery process in Nigeria one more opportunity to bow our heads in shame.

In our system, the 25 days that have gone past after elections will be used just for filing documents (mostly pieces of papers crafted to delay the entire process and ensure a blurred process).  Lengthy, and mostly irrelevant documentations; absence of judiciary staff from their posts, at times due to domestic squabbles in their homes and or paid vacations to exotic location of judicial officers; and other equally nonsensical reasons will ensure that such litigation drag on for eternity in our system. Till date, after over 700 days, there are yet some outstanding litigation in our system emanating from the 2011 general elections.

The rot in our system is, most unfortunately, rooted in the fraudulent  1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which any discerning analysis thereof, will reveal as a document programmed to ensure instability, underdevelopment and retrogression.

A holistic restructuring and renegotiation of our contraption and its fundamental law (the Constitution) may yet give us some hope of having a future.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/3/29/worldupdates/kenyans-urged-to-stay-calm-over-vote-ruling&sec=Worldupdates

Picture: Kenya President, Uhuru Kenyatta