'The Lord At Badagry And His Holy Days' By Adesina Ogunlana

THE LEARNED SQUIB

Vol 1 No 7 15th May 2001


I sallied forth last week, on Tuesday to Badagry. Not to swim in the Atlantic, or to say ‘hi’ to the Menu Toyi. Rather it was to see things for myself at the Badagry High Court (BHC).

Now the BHC is the domain of Honourable Justice Z.A. Ashiyanbi, who in 1999, during the vacation period as I reliably learnt earned himself the exotic appellation – ‘G.M.G’ (Ghana-Must-Go), ss some are still swearing. Ghana actually went away with the Judex then. Soon thereafter the vacation period, His Lordship woke up one morning only to find himself transferred to the BHC, a move which Judiciary workers claimed was a direct result and acknowledgement of His Lordship’s wondrous deeds as Judge during the afore mentioned vacation period. Abi?

But presently the chief complaint against His Lordship to my knowledge has nothing to do with Ghana or Ghana-Must-Go bags. Rather they have everything to do with his Lordship’s 3-day working week and a demonstratable aversion to working for long hours. And lawyers are really concerned about this, but have they been fair to His Lordship?

I know the usual but not quite effective thing to do is to report such matters to the office of the Chief Justice. But here I teach you certain pragmatic and sure-fire methods and steps to take to cope effectively in the BHC.

(a) BRING ALONG A GENERATOR

The supply of power to the BHC is to say the least highly irregular and unreliable. Then how can you expect an old man, His Lordship the Badagry Judge to do any meaningful job in stifling heat? So don’t arm yourself when going to the BHC with only Law Reports, Court Rules and the Evidence Act. Carry a Gen-Set along and let’s see whether His Lordship will manifest any escapist tendency.

(b) RECOGNISE TUESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AS HIS LORDSHIP’S SABBATH

I think a Lord should have the power to declare any day holy and work-free for himself. So what’s the big deal in Ashiyanbi .J’s refusal to sit on Tuesdays and Fridays? After all, many City (Lagos & Ikeja Division) judges do not sit on Fridays and some of them cannot be found at all in their Chambers on the Friday “Sabbaths.” And how do you know that His Lordship has not been using Tuesdays for cogitating on crack legal issues and writing momentous judgements albeit in the comfort of his residence.

(c) DO NOT GO TO COURT EARLY

Avoid frustration. Don’t go to the HBC if you have a matter there on ‘acceptable’ days, earlier than 10.am. Even then, His Lordship may still be wending his tortuous way from his Ikoyi residence which is about 70 kilometers to his Court at Badagry. For the same reason the poor Lord may not be too keen on staying too long at Badagry before diving home.

We all may blame the Judge but the system (Judiciary) is much more to blame. Why create punishment zones – for Badagry Judicial Division, is actually one of such and is better re-named Badagry Judicial Punishment Division. There is no decent and appropriate accommodation for a judge yet in place there. The premises of the very High Court reeks of woe, ruin and desolation. Little wonder that officers there see their postings as punishment and pass on or share the punishment with the helpless public. It is either a judicial division is properly supported with the withal to stand or is scrapped. Accept my sympathy your Lordship, but is there absolutely nothing that we can do to “de-Sabbathify” Tuesdays? Nothing Sir?

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