Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has stated that Lagos should have been excluded from the Federal Government’s legal action against governors at the Supreme Court over alleged misconduct in the administration of local governments.
Sanwo-Olu argued that it was a legal anomaly for the Federal Government to include Lagos in the lawsuit, given that local governments in the state had enjoyed full autonomy for decades. He expressed his support for the suit but noted that the Attorney General of the Federation should have identified non-compliant states before filing a blanket lawsuit against all states.
Speaking at the ongoing Justice Reform Summit organized by the Lagos State Judiciary, themed “Enhancing the Administration of Justice for Economic Growth, Investment Protection and Security in Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said, “It is interesting to read the news that the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation has sued all the 36 states because governors did not give autonomy to the third tier of government. The only mistake, which I am going to tell our Attorney General, is that some of us are in compliance.”
He added, “The Attorney General should have done his due diligence to identify which states are not in compliance, so that we don’t sue all the 36 states together. You can determine which states are not violating the Constitution. If it is three, four, or five states, then you can sue the 31 states violating the autonomy of the local governments. That is part of the back work that we need to do.”
Sanwo-Olu emphasized the importance of judicial reform for improving the administration of the justice system and ensuring the court remains the last hope for the common man. He praised the Lagos judiciary for being a beacon of justice and urged judges and law officers to innovate and raise the standards of the justice system.
Drawing a parallel with Singapore, Sanwo-Olu highlighted how the country’s commitment to the rule of law and fairness transformed its justice system, leading to rapid economic growth and prosperity. He said, “Just like Lagos, Singapore has no resources. Singapore is what it is today because of the Ease of Doing Business. It takes less than 30 minutes to register a business in Singapore, which makes it surpass many countries in Ease of Doing Business. Singapore has one of the best judiciary systems in the world; they have a quick turnaround time in mediation and dispute resolution.”
He stressed that Lagos needed a strong judicial system to achieve its investment potential, promoting transparency and accountability. He urged collaboration between the Bench and the Bar to enhance the efficiency of the justice system.
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kayode Ariwoola, represented by Justice Iyabode Yerima of the Supreme Court, praised the Lagos judicial system for being a forerunner in justice development, noting that other jurisdictions often borrow from Lagos’ examples. The CJN cited landmark initiatives by the Lagos judiciary, such as the Administration of Criminal Justice laws, which set a template for the Criminal Justice Act at the National Assembly.
Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by Mr. Fernandez Marcos-Obiene, lauded Lagos’ robust and transparent reforms in the justice system for promoting economic growth. He pledged that the Federal Government would continue to support reforms that improve public trust in the judiciary.
Chief Justice of Lagos, Justice Kazeem Alogba, commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for his non-interference in judicial matters. He said, “No society thrives without a robust justice system. The essence of any society is to have justice, without which there will be no peace and order. Security is an integral element of a robust justice system. When you have judges who are incompetent and corrupt in the system, the society will suffer for it.”
Other speakers at the two-day event included the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, and Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, SAN, among others.
