…as Malema Cautions Africa on Debt Trap
The Sultan of Sokoto and chairman of the Northern Traditional Rulers, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has raised alarm that justice in Nigeria is increasingly being reduced to a “purchasable commodity” where the poor are victims while the rich escape accountability.
The revered monarch spoke on Sunday at the opening of the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu. He lamented that corruption and inequality were undermining the credibility of the nation’s judicial system.
“Today, justice is increasingly becoming a purchasable commodity, and the poor are becoming victims of this kind of justice, while the rich commit all manner of crime and walk the streets scot-free,” he said.
The Sultan commended the NBA for choosing the theme ‘Stand Out and Stand Tall’, describing it as timely and in line with the urgent demand for legal practitioners to uphold their professional mandate.
According to him, the legal profession must recommit to fairness, accountability, and equality before the law.
“You are resolving to uphold the highest principles of the rule of law to ensure that everyone, including those in power, is subject to and accountable under the law. If we are able to do this, we would have addressed the core of the crisis of governance in this country,” he added.
He stressed that justice remains the foundation of stable societies and warned that the law must always pursue justice as its ultimate end. He further urged participants to use the conference to deliberate on issues crucial to Nigeria’s future.
“This conference, I hope, will also give you the time to address issues that are pertinent to the future of our society. Three things are particularly important: continuing efforts at law reforms to gradually decolonise our laws and make them closer to our values, culture and history; addressing social justice to tackle glaring inequalities and foster cohesion; and improving access to justice, especially considering the rising cost of litigation and the exclusion of the weak and vulnerable,” he said.
The Sultan also criticised Nigeria’s recurrent challenge of poor policy implementation despite having “very good policies.”
“Law and learning are inseparable. At the core of the study of law is the knowledge of value, and justice is one of those core values the law is supposed to achieve,” he told the gathering, which included South African opposition leader Julius Malema.
In his keynote address, Malema warned Africa against dependency on foreign loans, particularly from Bretton Woods institutions, describing them as a “debt trap” that mortgages the continent’s future.
“The debt trap of Africa to our foreign colonisers must be stopped, and that begins by regulating these loans that our leaders commit future generations to, because they will not be there when the colonisers come to collect,” Malema declared.
He disclosed that South Africa’s parliament is already considering reforms to curb reckless borrowing.
“The Public Finance Management Amendment Bill will in South Africa deal with a problem facing the whole continent, and that is the unregulated borrowing of money by our governments from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This bill, which we have introduced as the EFF, will require that the National Treasury in South Africa first seek approval from parliament to source foreign loans and establish transparency regarding such loans and their conditionalities,” Malema said.
His warning comes amid growing concerns over rising external debts in African countries such as Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Malema also praised Nigeria for its role in supporting South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, insisting that the historic bond between both nations must be deepened.
“Combined, we possess the minerals that power modern technology, the energy resources that fuel global industry, and the human capital to build a self-sufficient continent. The path forward is clear: Nigeria and South Africa must industrialise together, build factories together, and process our resources on African soil,” he said.
He added that Africa’s “salvation” lies within, not abroad.
“It will not come from Washington, London, Brussels, or Beijing. Our salvation lies here, in Lagos and Johannesburg, in Abuja and Pretoria, in the hands of Africans who refuse to be divided,” the firebrand South African politician told the thousands of lawyers and dignitaries present.
Also addressing the gathering, Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, reminded lawyers that law is more than a profession, describing it as the conscience of the nation.
Mbah restated his government’s commitment to justice sector reform, which he said remains central to his administration.
“The law is not just a profession; it is the conscience of the nation. We are not only courtroom advocates; we are also defenders of truth, architects of peace, and champions of equity,” the governor said.
