President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to return to France today, Friday, August 23.
A flight tracker showed his plane is due to fly to Nice in France on Friday afternoon, following a flight from the same location to Abuja yesterday.
Also a reliable source at the presidency said Tinubu will be returning to France “any moment from now to continue his brief work stay” in the country.
Tinubu had cut short his visit to France and returned to Nigeria to swear in Kekere-Ekun as CIN following the retirement of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
The president, on Friday, swore in Kekere-Ekun as the 23rd CIN at the State House, Abuja. She will operate in an acting capacity until her confirmation by the Senate
Justice Kekere-Ekun took her oath at about 11:38 a.m. and assumed her rightful position in the council chambers on the left-hand side of the President at exactly 11:45 am.
She is assuming her new role as CIN following the retirement of her predecessor, Ariwoola, and her nomination and presentation to Tinubu by the National Judicial Council (NIC) on August 15.
In his remarks, President Tinubu urged the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria to defend the independence of the judiciary and promote the cause of justice.
The President emphasized the importance of strengthening mechanisms that will uphold and enhance integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judiciary.
”Undoubtedly, the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria comes with enormous responsibilities as the head of all judicial institutions in the country. It is a position of considerable influence that demands temperance and sobriety.
”The occupant of the office must exude the highest level of integrity in the discharge of their duties. This is more so because of the finality of the Supreme Court’s judgments.
”I, therefore, urge your Lordship to be faithful and loyal to the Constitution when discharging your duty as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
”I also encourage you to defend the judiciary’s independence and always promote the cause of justice. It is vital that you strengthen all mechanisms for integrity, discipline, and transparency in the judicial sector, and pursue other reforms or initiatives to sustain and build public confidence in the judiciary,” the President stated.
President Tinubu also lauded the contributions of Justice Kekere-Ekun to the judiciary, noting that she is coming to the position with an admirable family and professional pedigree.
”Over the years, she has established a respectable and incorruptible reputation within the bar and the bench, which asserts the cause of justice.
”Her meritorious rise from a magistrate to justice of the Supreme Court is a testament to her exceptional talent, hard work, unblemished record, strong work ethic, and dedication to her calling as a priest in the temple of justice.
”Her sterling contribution to the growth of the Nigerian judiciary has been remarkable. We are inspired by her unwavering commitment to a higher ideal of upholding the principles of fairness and a strong commitment to humanity.
”Justice Kekere-Ekun is a brilliant lawyer who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981. She’s now a trailblazer becoming the second woman to hold this esteemed position after Honourable Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, GCON,” the President said.
Speaking to the media after the swearing-in, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria pledged to elevate the judiciary to new heights, improve its reputation, and sustain public confidence in the judicial system.
”We will make sure that people have more confidence in the judiciary, and I believe that it is not a one-man job. We all have to be on board because we all see the areas that are in need of improvement.
”I believe that there will be maximum cooperation because we all want to see a better judiciary.
”A better judiciary is for the benefit of the entire nation. Whatever the shortcomings that we see today are, we are all members of the society so, if we want to see a better society, if we want to see improvement, let the improvement start with each and every one of us and our approach to justice.
”Let us all have faith in the system and then also be particular about the process of appointment, I know it is a source of a lot of concern; the issue of discipline on the bench and at the bar as well.
”All of these things are aspects that we will look into and I believe that by the grace of God, at the end of my tenure, we should be able to have a judiciary that we will all be proud of,” the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria said.
Kekere-Ekun is now the second Nigerian female jurist to serve as CIN after Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, who held the position between July 2012 and November 2014.
Among those who witnessed the event were other Justices of the Supreme Court, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; the leadership of the House of Representatives, represented by Prof. Julius Ihonbvere; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.
Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Fermi Gbajabiamila; and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
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