An Abuja-based lawyer, Maxwell Opara, has said that he believes some of the judicial nominees who failed the recently conducted integrity test may have done so because they did not have anyone to defend their interests before the screening panel.
Opara made the statement on Tuesday during an interview on a television programme, where he reacted to the development involving 34 judicial nominees who were reported to have failed the integrity assessment.
The lawyer argued that the panel must publish the names of all applicants and clearly explain the criteria used in compiling the integrity list, insisting that such transparency is the only way to convince Nigerians that the exercise was fair and credible.
“Well, this has been our position. That has been what we have been calling for, because we believe that when we get it right in the judiciary, we are there. Because when you see a politician or any Nigerian misbehaving, they have watched the position of the judiciary.
“A couple of days ago, we got information that some people failed the integrity test. Who are those persons that failed this test? Who wrote those petitions against them?
“What were the petitions all about? Who are those that interviewed them? You should make it open. There is nothing secret about it.
“On my own, I may be wrong. I believe that those who purportedly failed the integrity test are those who have nobody to protect their interest in the panel.
“I may be wrong, but for you people to prove me wrong, you need to come up and tell us who applied and who wrote petitions against whom.
“If you don’t want to disclose the persons that wrote the petitions, no problem, but let us know the facts and how you arrived that these are the integrity threshold. These are the criteria, and he or she failed to meet the criteria.
“Of course, personally, and some other persons are also feeling the same, that the people who were disqualified are those who have no connection with the members of the panel.
“So for the panel to prove to Nigerians that it did a good job, it needs to make everything open for Nigerians, because from the information I have, I think it’s only one or two persons that people wrote petitions against,” he said.
