Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has said urged legal practitioners to defend the unity and independence of the Nigerian Judiciary, arguing that the nation’s democracy would fail if the judiciary crumbles.
Speaking at the reunion dinner of the 1986 Law Class of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu State, Saturday, Ekweremadu called on lawyers to stand up for the rule of law as any nation not bound by the fine principle of democracy was bound to fail.
He said, “Today, the judiciary is challenged and we must not forget that this arm of government is at the heart of our democracy. Therefore, we must not allow its unity and independence to crumble. We must stand up for the judiciary and we must stand up for our own rights. We must ensure that the rule of law prevails because any country without the rule of law is bound to fail”, he said.
He called for continued commitment to the cause of the country despite present challenges.
“We must remain committed to the cause of our country, the cause of unity, and the cause of peace. The country belongs to all of us and we are not going to expect anyone to change the course of things for us except ourselves. We must never despair, no matter the situation because ours is a profession that believes in possibilities.
“In the course of World War II, Churchill told the people of England that if everybody defended his own, the whole of England would be defended. We all have a role to play to have a better country”, he added.
Ekweremadu also eulogized the UNN, particularly the Faculty of Law for working hard to preserve the standard and reputation of the institution despite obvious challenges.
“The very regrettable trend in Nigeria today is that most of our institutions are beginning to decline. But this is one institution we have seen that has grown over the years and the Law Faculty if making much progress,” Ekweremadu concluded.
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