Retired Justice Musa Haruna Kurya of the Federal High Court has admonished serving judges and lawyers in the judiciary to discharge their legal roles with the reminder that they would one day face the Judge of all judges to give an account of their service to humanity.
Speaking during the valedictory court session held in his honour at the Federal High Court, Gombe, Justice Kurya said his guiding principle during his years in service had been the fear of dying and facing God, the greatest Judge to give an account of his stewardship in the judiciary.
Justice Kurya quoted from the Holy Bible, where a valedictory message by Prophet Samuel declared his faithfulness and sincerity in his service as the judge for the children of Israel for 40 years and ended without blemish.
“I have become a judge over you for the past 40 years, Oh Israel, if there is anyone that I have collected his goat, I have collected his sheep, I have collected his donkey, let that person complain now so that I will pay him,” said Justice Kurya.
With that, Justice Kurya prayed that the serving judges would equally end with praises of clean record in their credit.
Justice Musa Haruna Kurya was born on 9th May, 1957 in Ture, Kaltungo Local Government Area, Gombe South Senatorial District of Gombe State. He obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1971 and his West Africa School Certificate in 1976. He bagged his LL.B Degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in the year 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985.
Justice Kurya began his legal career in the Ministry of Justice, Bauchi State as a Pupil State Counsel from 1986-1996, where he rose through the ranks and was in 2007 appointed as a Deputy Chief Registrar, Gombe State, Judiciary before his appointment to the Federal High Court Bench in 2012.
Justice Kurya served as a Judge of the Federal High Court for 10 years, during which he was in Lagos and Jos Judicial Divisions of the Court.
Speaker-after-speaker all praised the selfless and clean service rendered by the incorruptible justice Kurya, who had to go through difficulties but maintained steadfastness in the discharging of his judicial duties.
The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tehemba Tsoho, who was represented by Justice Binta Nyako, congratulated Justice Kurya for gracefully retiring from active judicial service, despite turbulent times associated with the job.
“The Valedictorian is a complete gentle man, well known for his profoundly friendly and quiet but revered life style. He is one of the Judges who have been loyal to the Judiciary. The Bench and the Bar will dearly miss him, for his carefulness and uprightness. This stands as legacy of his dedication to the Judiciary during his time on the Bench of the Federal High Court,” said Justice Tsoho.
The Representative of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Justice Pius Akuba also praised the stewardship of Justice kurya, saying it is not every judge that gets to be celebrated with a valedictory session without a record of blemish to his name.
Mr. Akuba also quoted from the Holy Bible where judges were commissioned to dispense justice on earth as God’s representatives but reminded them that they in turn would face Him presiding over them in righteousness and justice for the work He assigned them to carry out on His behalf.
Consequently, he said valedictory court sessions were a highly cherished tradition of the Court, where judges get to be celebrated for upright judicial service rendered and bow out in good health, with good character and unblemished reputation intact.
The Representative of the of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria called on the government to provide the needed protection for judicial officers to operate without fear, in light of the security challenges being witnessed across the country.
“The wake-up call therefore is that, Government must be alive to its responsibility. Judicial Officers can no longer afford to operate with trembling hands with the fear o the unknown,” said Mr. Akuba.
He said there was the need for the appointment of new judges because the Nigerian Judiciary was experiencing a serious shortage of judges, with the serving overstretched with a huge workload.
The Senior Advocate called for more cooperation between lawyers and judges for the smooth and speedy dispensation of justice in Nigeria.
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