Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa Becomes 1st Female Appeal Court President

Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa was yesterday sworn in as the first female president of the Court of Appeal by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, who urged Bulkachuwa not to drag the name of the judiciary in the mud.

The CJN also urged her to shun all forms of political pressure she may encounter in the course of discharging her duties.

While leading Bulkachuwa in taking the oath of office as the sixth and first female president of the court, the CJN advised her to lead by example.

Bulkachuwa had been acting as the president of the court for over a year before her appointment was confirmed as the substantive president by President Goodluck Jonathan last month.

The CJN said, “Let me remind you that your appointment is coming at a critical time when Nigeria’s judiciary is undergoing reforms. For this reason, I charge you to make all effort to reposition the court and ensure that the confidence in the court is restored. You must strive with diligence to ensure that you carry out your duties with all honesty, integrity and honour.

“It is pertinent at this juncture to stress that the discharge of the obligations of this venerated office must be executed with utmost sense of fair play, impartiality and dedication to duty. These and nothing else are the solemn responsibilities of a judicial officer,” The CJN said.

Bulkachuwa was also charged to ensure proper coordination of all the justices and activities of the court, for greater efficiency in the dispensation of justice.

“I therefore enjoin you, as a custodian of this sacred position to shun all forms of political pressure and discharge your responsibilities in consonance with the oath of office you have just subscribed to,” the CJN said.

I will uphold fight against corruption in judiciary – Bulkachuwa

Meanwhile, Justice Bulkachuwa has promised to bring a leadership that will uphold the crusade against corruption not only in the judiciary, but in the Nigeria in general.

Bulkachuwa,  who spoke during her swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court yesterday while delivering a speech, stated that she will introduce creativity and dynamic interpretations to demonstrate that the judicial process is “neither cold nor impersonal by working for the continued relevance of the laws to the realities of our times”.

On the issue of corruption, the PCA  said , “I stand on this honour in the crusade against corruption because our energies, faith and devotion which we bring to this endeavour will rekindle and build back the trust; and the glow from that fire can truly light not only the judiciary, but our great Nigeria in general. My distinguished colleagues, let’s not ask how we can tackle corruption but our main focus should be on what we can do to address corruption as an individual or collectively as a body. By doing so, we can rid the judiciary of corrupt practices.

“This is the time to get back on our feet and in doing so, we must remember that in every dark hour of our existence, a leadership of frankness and vigour that would bulwark freedom, justice, fairness and human rights is crucial to this institution”.