The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), has strongly criticized the public donation of cars and houses to judges by governors, describing the practice as demeaning and threatening to judicial independence.
In a television interview, Osigwe argued that the official needs of the judiciary—vehicles, courtrooms, and other infrastructure—should be budgeted and managed internally, not dependent on governors’ largesse.
“It is often annoying to see some governors boast, saying, ‘I gave cars to my judges,’ or holding public presentations of gifts. This is demeaning. The judiciary must not be reduced to a point where its members are recipients of handouts as if a favour is being done,” Osigwe said.
He warned that even if a judiciary appears independent, the perception of executive control is hard to erase. “There will always be a sense that the judiciary is at the beck and call of the executive; otherwise, those handouts would stop,” he explained.
Osigwe urged that all judiciary needs be included in official budgets and executed by judicial professionals. “No one should argue that funds will be embezzled or mismanaged—that is why qualified personnel exist within the judiciary to manage resources,” he stressed.
The NBA president also condemned any situation in which the executive reduces judges to “beggars,” highlighting cases where Chief Judges repeatedly visit governors seeking financial releases. He praised the federal system for avoiding such issues and called on states to follow suit urgently.
“Justice is rooted in confidence. Once that confidence is eroded, the public’s faith in the judiciary is permanently weakened,” he warned.
