Adetokunbo emphasised the need for an unbiased judiciary in enforcing the rights of media practitioners in the country.
The Executive Director, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Adetokunbo Mumuni, has urged the National Judicial Council to keep their minds closed from owning fat bank accounts in the dispensation of their duties.
He said this while speaking at the public presentation of a report on the restriction of press freedom in Nigeria.
Adetokunbo emphasised the need for an unbiased judiciary in enforcing the rights of media practitioners in the country.
According to him, judges are duty-bound to give a substantial judgment to cases they are ruling on without fear and expectation of favour regardless of, who is involved.
He decried that in recent times, conditions for appointing judges had been made secret as against what used to be.
He said, “You must close your mind to having a fat account if you want to be a judge.
“A judge has the duty to pass on substantial justice. Let us look at those that have been appointed and see if they are rightfully supposed to be there.”
The panelists however, called for scrutinising the activities of the judiciary to not only push for press freedom but also ensure that qualified and non-corrupt individuals were made judges.
“The oath a judge takes is very vital, once a judge takes the oath and makes it very sacrosanct, we won’t have this type of problem.
“Let us scrutinise their activities and ensure that those who are supposed to man the office are rightfully there,” the panelists posited.