He made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving a delegation from the Body of Benchers led by its newly appointed Chairman, Albert Akpomudje.………
During the meeting, the minister addressed recent comments credited to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, concerning the construction of residential houses for judges.
Wike stated that the FCT Administration would continue to provide infrastructure for government institutions whenever necessary and in line with directives from President Bola Tinubu.
He maintained that while criticism of government policies and programmes is welcome in a democratic system, such criticism should be constructive and aimed at promoting national development.
According to him, persistent negative criticism does not contribute positively to the growth and progress of the country.
The minister also questioned the position taken by the NBA president, pointing to what he described as the association’s dependence on government support for some of its activities.
Wike said it was contradictory for the leadership of the association to express concerns about the independence of the judiciary while at the same time seeking financial assistance from the executive arm of government for the running of its programmes and engagements.
He further advised the NBA president to use his period in office to improve the legal profession and strengthen the judiciary so that his tenure would be remembered positively in the future.
Wike added that it was unfortunate that the judiciary often became the subject of harsh criticism whenever government responded to its infrastructural requirements.
Speaking further during the visit, the minister congratulated the new chairman of the Body of Benchers on his appointment and responded positively to some of the requests presented by the delegation.
