With some of the post election matters in 2023 likely to end up in litigations, the National Publicity Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has warned Judicial officers against procurement of Justice by highest bidders.
Isong, who doubles as the General Overseer of the Calabar-based Christian Central Chapel International CCCI, gave the warning in Calabar, Monday, during a Church service to mark the official opening of the 2022/2023 legal year.
“Shun corrupt practices, judgement should not be given to the highest bidder. You must always be bold but committed to ensuring that judgement is delivered according to the rule of law no matter whose ox is gored,” he stated.
The PFN scribe described as ‘dangerous’ a situation in which the judiciary allowed judgement to be procured by the highest bidder, adding that the society could be thrown into confusion and serious tension if judges failed in their responsibilities.
Speaking on the topic: “A woman Taken In Adultery,” with a biblical inference drawn from the Book of John 8:3-5, the clergyman stated that the issue was to trap Jesus into delivering a one sided judgement.
“Judicial officers, especially those who sit on the bench and the bar, should look well and listen carefully because people could be set up, lies could be fabricated.
“The woman supposedly caught in adultery was just a bait to arrest Jesus for blasphemy and that was arranged by some pharisees in some dubious process without evidences. Her case could not be proven without reasonable doubt”, Isong maintained.
He called for application of wisdom just as it was done by Jesus Christ so that offenders of the law, and not the inocent, could be punished according to laid down rules.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of the State, Prof Ivata Esu, said
the expectations of the government and citizens within the legal year was enormous and therefore charged judicial officers to eschew favoritism.