SUPREME COURT JUDGE UNDER TRIAL FOR CORRUPTION

On page 2 of Leadership newspaper of January 5, 2010 was a story “China to Put Supreme Court Judge On Trial for Corruption”. To illustrate the story, the newspaper had the picture of Mrs. Farida Waziri, the EFCC chairman.

Quoting The Telegraph of London the story had it that Huang Songyou, the former deputy head of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), who had already been fired and dismissed on account of suspected law and discipline violations, will go on trial by first week of March, 2010. Mr. Huang, 52, a leading figure in the reform of the Chinese justice system is being accused of living a “corrupt and lavish” life. He was also accused of taking bribe in order to arrange a favourable ruling in a property development case in the southern province of Guangdong in 2008.

What drew my attention was the great disparity between what is obtained here in Nigeria and in China.  Here a judge would be seen to have taken bribe for a case, but the body that is supposed to arraign him or her in court, would look the other way. Huang was accused of living a corrupt and lavish life-style. In Nigeria, have we not seen those corrupt office holders, corrupt judges and sitting governors in particular whose corrupt and lavish life-style are being taken as role-model by misguided youths. And these shameless government officials are seen on the pages of Nigerian newspapers, being eulogized; I blame some media houses in this aspect. We need proper reorientation if Nigeria must have some regards in the comity of nations.

Chief Efosa Fredrick, Ikpoba Slope, Benin City, Edo State.