The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Justice Tanko Muhammad as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The confirmation followed the screening conducted by the upper legislative chamber in the Committee of the Whole on Wednesday.
The red chamber had, on arrival of Muhammad into the chamber, gone into a closed session to set the template for the screening.
Muhammad, who arrived at the Senate at around 10.10am, was ushered into the chamber around 11.13am.
The CJN, for about two hours, answered questions on corruption, administration of criminal justice and the poor funding of the judiciary, among others.
In response to questions by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, on corruption in the judiciary, the CJN said some judges in lower courts were guilty.
He said, “I always say that Nigeria’s judiciary is part and parcel of Nigeria; therefore I am not surprise if I see some justices are corrupt but that such judges who are corrupt should be identified and prosecuted under our laws.”
He therefore charged the federal parliament to come up with new legislation or amend obsolete ones to strengthen the existing laws.
“Let us amend them, let us take care of all the lapses in our laws. Let us provide adequately so that it will serve as guide to these anomalies. It is the duty of the legislature to sensitise the society,” he stated.
The CJN also lamented the poor funding of the judiciary, stressing that the development could affect speedy administration of justice.
In response to questions on the controversial verdicts of the Appeal and Supreme courts on the Osun governorship election, he admitted that the technicalities employed in the majority judgment provided leeway for double interpretation.
Olakunle Isaac 
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