By Olawale Ibrahim , Lokoja
A clergyman, Rev. Dr Paul Frank and Minister in charge of 1st Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Lokoja has tasked the Judiciary to be committed and prepared to uphold and dispense justice to whittle down forces of corruption.
Reverend Frank made the call in his sermon titled, “Be Prepared” during a special Church service to mark the commencement of the 2020/2021 Legal Year of Kogi State Judiciary on Sunday in Lokoja.
Frank who read from II Timothy 4:1-2 said the success of the fight to emancipate the country from the stranglehold of corruption and decadence lay in the hands of the Judiciary and it must be prepared to take the challenge.
He said that the country was in dire need of heart surgery, “Our present-day Nigeria needs open-heart surgery. We are left with the option of the Judiciary as the only qualified surgeon to do the operation.
“Remember that one day, you will give an account of your stewardship to the Chief Judge of the universe. We need a system where everybody will be equal before the law. We are tired of slavery.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Frank had condoled the judiciary on the passing away of the former Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, and former President, Kogi State Customary Court of Appeal, late Justice Ibrahim Atadoga Shaibu.
The Acting Chief Judge, Justice Olusiyi in his remarks on behalf of the judiciary acknowledged God for His faithfulness to the judges describing them as mare mortals given the privilege to administer justice on fellow human beings.
“We are here as an institution to advocate, to plead to God that we need his help and his sympathy. We want to see God more in the new Legal Year. We have no other god we have no other sources,” he said.
Olusiyi described the Judiciary as a critical arm of government that needed the support of all and prayed God to grant the arm the grace to undertake their functions without fear or favour.
He prayed for God to endow Gov. Yahaya Bello with wisdom from above and the state House of Assembly, the grace to legislate with the fear of God.
Rev. Dr John Aina, Vice President of ECWA International, leading other ministers, prayed God to unite the judges and grant them the grace to be upright and obtain justice for the nation.
Acting Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Bamidele Aina in remarks urged the Church to always be there for the Judiciary and the nation, to pray for good governance and the need for the Judiciary to always uphold the rule of law.
