No investor will risk money where govt functionary dictates court rulings – Goodluck Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned that no investor will commit funds to an economy where the judiciary is compromised and subject to political control.

Jonathan made the remarks on Wednesday at the Democracy Dialogue of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana.

He stressed that judicial independence is crucial to building a stable and trustworthy business environment.

“It affects everybody. For example, no businessman can bring his money to invest in a country where the judiciary is compromised, where a government functionary can dictate to judges what judgment they will give. No man brings his money to invest in that economy because they are taking a big risk,” he said.

Jonathan added that for Nigeria to secure its future, leaders must uphold justice and fairness irrespective of personal or political interests.

“If we must build a nation for our children and grandchildren, no matter how painful it is, we must strive to do what is right,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Bishop Mathew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto praised Jonathan’s 2015 concession of defeat as a turning point for Nigeria’s democracy. He cautioned the former president to be wary of political actors seeking to use him for their own agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.

Quoting General Theophilus Danjuma, Kukah said: “The voice of the devil is not so far from the voice of God. Listen carefully to those who want to use you as an instrument for the elongation of their interests, and not your interests or the interests of Nigeria.”