RE-ENGINEERING JUSTICE IN NIGERIA FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EDUCATION

This paper focused on the bastardization of justice in Nigeria as a threat to peace, security and national development. Justice is of great importance in every state or society. It is a strong pillar for genuine human life, peaceful coexistence among people, and human development. Justice refers to a structure through which the laws guiding existence and order in a society is applied and the rights of the citizens upheld. Characteristics of justice include fairness, equity, equality, effectiveness and efficiency. These characteristics spell out modes of offence-punishment proportionality, constitutionality, public order, safety and integrity, among other things. In every society, justice functions or operates through a justice system. Nigeria is not an exception in this regard. In Nigeria, the justice system comprises three institutions: the police, the court and the prison (now correctional centre). Apparently, these institutions have been highly bastardized in Nigeria, resulting to a lack of peace, insecurity and retrogression in development as a common experience of the citizens. The paper traced the causes of the bastardization, which include, among other things, lack of strict adherence to the principles of federal character in appointments, lack of respect for the rule of law, and the weakness of the education system. Using a discursive approach and conceptual analysis, the paper critically examined these causes in the light of the three institutions of justice system. The conclusion arrived at was that for peace, security and development to thrive in Nigeria, there must be a re-engineering of justice system through education, with strong emphasis on the inculcation and practice of justice as a value. To this end, it was recommended, among others, that our leaders should swallow their pride, accept their failures, apologize to the citizens, and come back to the drawing table for proper amendments, especially regarding adequate funding of the education system.

Justice, Re-engineering, Peace, Education, Nigeria,

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