Judges, Justice and Wike: What Message Is the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Sending?

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

In public affairs, symbolism is often as important as substance. Institutions do not merely communicate through speeches; they also communicate through the company they keep.

That is why the decision of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to designate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as “Host” of the forthcoming 18th International Maritime Seminar for Judges deserves far more scrutiny than it has so far attracted.

The seminar itself is beyond reproach. Since 1995, it has served as one of Nigeria’s foremost platforms for strengthening maritime jurisprudence and equipping judges with the knowledge required to adjudicate increasingly complex admiralty disputes. It is a noble objective that deserves every support.

Yet one puzzling question hangs over this year’s edition. What exactly is Nyesom Wike doing there as “Host”? The seminar is organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

While the NSC listed the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, as the Distinguished Guest of Honour, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola CON, as Chief Host, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice,  Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) as the Guest of Honour, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator  George Akume, as Chairman of the Occasion; then comes the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory as “Host.”

Host on what basis? Is it because the event is taking place in Abuja? If that is the new standard, should every conference held in the Federal Capital Territory henceforth list the FCT Minister as host? That has never been the convention.

The designation raises questions that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Dr. Pius Akutah, himself a lawyer, owes the maritime industry answers to. What institutional value does Wike add to a seminar devoted to maritime justice?

What expertise does the FCT administration bring to discussions on admiralty jurisdiction, ship mortgages, cargo claims, arbitration, detention charges and judicial sale of ships? More importantly, what signal does this send to judges gathered to deliberate on justice, impartiality and the rule of law?

Public confidence in the judiciary rests not only on actual independence but also on the perception of independence. Every institution connected with the administration of justice should therefore avoid unnecessary symbolism capable of provoking questions about propriety.

Nyesom Wike remains one of Nigeria’s most controversial political figures. His outspoken style and confrontational politics have earned him both loyal admirers and fierce critics. He has been donating flashy residential properties to judges while daring Nigerians to question him. Against that backdrop, placing him in such visible prominence at a seminar dedicated to judicial integrity inevitably invites public debate, whether intended or not.

This is not about denying any public official the right to attend public functions. It is about institutional judgment. The maritime sector is overflowing with distinguished personalities whose careers are directly connected with shipping, commerce, admiralty law and trade facilitation. If symbolism matters, why elevate someone whose official responsibilities bear no direct relationship to maritime governance or judicial education?

For Dr. Akutah, the optics are even more significant. As a lawyer heading Nigeria’s port economic regulator, every decision capable of influencing perceptions about regulatory neutrality deserves careful consideration. Stakeholders who daily seek fairness from regulators, tribunals and the courts are entitled to ask whether the Council appreciates the importance of maintaining not only institutional independence but also the appearance of it.

The irony is striking. A seminar established to strengthen confidence in maritime justice risks opening with conversations not about maritime law, but about why an FCT Minister occupies such a central place in an event meant for judges. That is unfortunate.

Judicial seminars should project one unmistakable message: that justice stands above politics, personalities and power. If the Nigerian Shippers’ Council intended to reinforce confidence in Nigeria’s maritime justice system, the choice of symbolism should have reflected that lofty objective.

Instead, it has handed the industry an avoidable controversy. And in matters involving the judiciary, avoidable controversies are often the most damaging of all.