Gov. Lalong’s speech at the swearing in of acting Chief Judge of Plateau State

Plateau State Governor, Rt Hon Simon Bako Lalong today 23rd September,
2017 swore in Justice Yakubu Gyang Dakwak as acting Chief Judge of
Plateau State.

 See Governor Lalong’s  Speech at the swearing in occasion.

ADDRESS
OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE, RT HON. SIMON BAKO LALONG AT THE
SWEARING IN OF THE HON JUSTICE YAKUBU GYANG DAKWAK AS ACTING CHIEF JUDGE OF
PLATEAU STATE, ON THE 23^RD SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
RAYFIELD, JOS

PROTOCOL

Today’s Swearing in of My Lord, Hon. Justice
Yakubu Gyang Dakwak as Acting Chief Judge of Plateau in keeping with Judicial
Precedence, and the time tested tradition of succession on the Bench by
seniority, marks the official retirement and exit of my Lord Justice Pius
Damuluk CON.

“Nature abhors a Vacuum” and so does the
Judiciary. I have therefore considered it imperative to exercise without delay
the duty of swearing in an Acting Chief Judge for the State, through the
administration of the oath of office and allegiance in keeping with the
provision of section 271 (2) (3) and particularly sub section (4) of the 1999
Constitution as Amended.

The process for the confirmation or appointment
of the Substantive Chief Judge shall follow the constitutionally laid down
procedure, on the recommendation and confirmation of the appointment by the
National Judicial Council (NJI) and the Plateau State House of Assembly respectively
and this shall commence immediately.

Let me at this juncture register again my
appreciation to My Lord Retired Justice Pius Damulak CON, for his meritorious
service and to commend my Lord Justices of the High Court, Staff of the Plateau
State Judiciary, Members of the Bar and Inner Bar, as well as Counsels of the
Official Bar at the Ministry of Justice, for making the tenure of the Retired
Chief Judge eventful and memorable. I also wish to congratulate the Acting
Chief Judge, my Lord Justice Gyang Dakwak on his swearing in to fill in the gap
and to contribute his quota, in moving the Judiciary a step forward in the
Administration of Justice in the State.

I have no doubt in my mind that the rich resuméof my Lord, Hon. Justice
Dakwak, given his wealth of experience in Legal Practice and the delivery of
Justice garnered in his over thirty years on the Bench, will be brought to bear
in the Administration of Justice in the State.

The broad spectrum exposure of the Acting Chief
Judge, in Quasi – Legal Assignments, Ad-hoc responsibilities on Election
Matters, Judicial Reform, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Anti – Corruption
Cases, Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, leaves me under no illusion as to his
preparedness, to add value to the entire Justice Delivery System in the Country
with the new responsibility.

At this crucial time of our Nation’s Fight
against corruption and all forms of maladministration and misappropriation of
our commonwealth and corporate patrimony, all eyes are on you to do the needful
as you join hands with all stakeholders in the Judiciary and Justice Delivery
System in our Nation to sanitize our Nation. The Judiciary have been under
Public scrutiny, this is so because it represents the hope of the groaning
masses for a redeemable future for posterity. A clean Judiciary is the alter
for the sanitization of our country; punishment for crime, remedy for injuries
and the enthronement of respect for the rule of law, are sure panaceas to the
reign of impunity, abuse of public trust and anarchy that are fast eating up
sanity in our Public space.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, My Lord Justice
Walter Onnoghen GCON, has set out the direction for the Judiciary to be in the
forefront in the fight against corruption. He has in his address at the
Swearing in of New Silks into the INNER BAR on Monday the 18^th of
September, 2017, directed all Heads of Courts to designate one or two special
courts in their jurisdiction as Special Courts for hearing and speedy
determination of corruption and financial crime cases. Further to this he said
Anti- Corruption Trial Monitoring Committee, will be set up by the National
Judicial Council to ensure that both trial and appellate courts handling
corruption and financial crime cases, abide by the renewed efforts at ridding
our country of the canker worm.

The Bar has also not been left out in the
reform in the Justice system, because all Heads of Courts have been directed to
clamp down on lawyers who engage in sharp practices and deploy tactics of delay,
to deny justice in criminal matters. Where reforms in laws, practice direction
and rules of Court are complied with to improve the administration of Justice,
the Nation will be the better for it.

I am sure my Lord the Acting Chief Judge will
desire out of conviction and compulsion of duty, to join the league of
anti-corruption campaigners in our Nation. This will be done as you work hard
to give the State a first in implementing the charge of my Lord the Chief
Justice of the Federation.

On our part as a Government, we will continue to
do our best to provide the necessary support and statutory requirement of
office, to enable the Judiciary to function effectively. While doing this, we
will ensure that the Independence of the Judiciary remains sacrosanct, so that
we validate the fact that our democracy is founded on the tenets of the rule of
law and clear separation of powers, with each arm of Government being a
critical part of the whole.

My Lord, permit me to leave you with the words
of Andrew
Jackson, President of the United States of America (1828)

“Every good citizen makes his country’s honour

his own, and cherishes it not only as precious

but as sacred. He is willing to risk his life in

it’s defence and is conscious that he gains

protection while he gives it”

Our country has been dishonoured and brandished
as a ‘Fantastically Corrupt Nation’; some of our Judges have come under
opprobrium as Corrupt Judges placing the Judiciary under ignominy and several
institutions have collapsed in the country because of corruption.

You have a duty to help ‘kill corruption or
else corruption will kill Nigeria’ like President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR will
always say. You must begin from the Judiciary and then proceed to deal with the
Public. You have the capacity to do this, you therefore only need to have the
courage to do it. As you do it, you will be making your country’s honour
precious and sacred.

Finally, as I convey assurances of our prayers
and support for you to function, I wish to encourage my Lord Judges of the
Superior Courts of record and all in the line of Justice Administration, to
support the Acting Chief Judge to excel in office.

I thank you for listening and may God bless
Plateau State.

Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong

Executive Governor