Justice Kogo and the Integrity Test

By Blessing Bem Efe Imohimi, Esq.

At a time when public office is judged more by the privileges it confers than the responsibility it demands, officials who place institutional interest above personal comfort deserve more than applause. They deserve scrutiny.

Nigeria’s crisis of public leadership is not just about missing policies or weak institutions. It is the recurring gap between public authority and public purpose. Budgets are passed, agencies are set up, appointments are made , yet outcomes still depend on the character and discipline of those entrusted with leadership.

It is against this backdrop that the record of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Honourable Justice Mainasara Umar Kogo, invites reflection.

I have known Justice Kogo since our school days. That personal knowledge does not exempt his record from scrutiny. It offers a chance to test whether values professed early survive the pressures and perks of public office.  

Leadership is not proved by what one says before power. It is proved by what one does with it.

Since assuming leadership of the CCT, Justice Kogo has focused on long-standing administrative problems: staff welfare, delayed promotions, infrastructure, equipment, and transportation. These may seem routine, but they are central to how institutions function.

An institution cannot deliver justice efficiently when its personnel are demoralised and its tools are obsolete.  

The reported improvements in salaries, promotions, and working conditions at the Tribunal raise a larger question: why must workers in critical public institutions wait years for legitimate welfare issues to be addressed?

Leadership may not solve every structural problem, but it decides whether problems are confronted or merely managed.

The emphasis on modernisation is also notable , renovation of facilities, restoration of electricity, and provision of computers and working tools. In an era where justice depends on records, timelines, and inter-agency data, modernisation is no longer optional. It is urgent.

No doubt, administrative restructuring , creating departments and clarifying responsibilities can cut bottlenecks. But restructuring must not be an end in itself. Reform is measured by one thing: that  it brings better service to citizens.

In a justice system where delay erodes trust, disposing of cases that lingered for years matters. Buildings and budgets are important, but an institution exists primarily to do its job.

The reported absence of carry-over cases at the end of the 2025/2026 legal year should prompt a wider conversation , this brings to question as to  why cases stall for decades.  What procedural and administrative obstacles allow it.  What can other judicial bodies learn from institutions that reduce backlogs

On discipline, Justice Kogo’s approach reflects another hard truth: welfare without responsibility is unsustainable. 

Enforcing punctuality and attendance, when done fairly, is not oppression. Public institutions cannot demand accountability from citizens while tolerating indiscipline internally. Rights must come with duties.

The strongest evidence of leadership philosophy is often found in small choices.

During his service at the National Commission for Colleges of Education, Justice Kogo was reportedly offered a choice of official residence and took the one others rejected. Whether seen as sacrifice or modesty, the principle matters. 

Too often in Nigeria, the office is treated as a contest for the best house, car, and allowances , even when the institution is failing.

His reported response to an erroneous salary payment to his wife’s account is equally instructive. Accountability systems are tested not only in big scandals, but in ordinary moments when one can quietly benefit from what one did not earn. Integrity begins there.

No anti-corruption campaign succeeds if integrity is only for speeches. The real fight happens in daily decisions — when no one is watching.

From ABU Zaria to leadership in NANS, WASU, and the Law School Students’ Council, Justice Kogo’s early exposure to public responsibility is clear. Student activism does not guarantee ethical leadership, but sustaining those values across decades is worth noting.

His community work through Rotary International also reinforces a point: public service is bigger than government.

His personal story , losing a parent early, growing up in a large family ,also speaks to perseverance and the role of education. At a time when young Nigerians question whether merit still matters, such journeys remind us that adversity need not define limits.

His reported ease across Nigeria’s regions also matters. Our challenge is not diversity itself, but how it is weaponised. Public institutions cannot work if appointments and justice are filtered through ethnic or religious lenses. A public servant’s first loyalty must be to the Constitution and the citizen.

Yet one caution: institutions must not depend on the character of one person.  

A reform-minded leader can move an organisation, but lasting change requires systems that outlive any tenure. The true test is whether today’s standards survive tomorrow’s leadership.

For the CCT and similar bodies, gains in welfare, discipline, infrastructure, and case management must be institutionalised. That is the difference between reform and legacy.

Justice Kogo’s journey offers a reminder of what Nigeria should demand from public office.

Competence matters. Reform matters. Efficiency matters.  

But integrity is the foundation.

A brilliant officer can still misuse authority. An efficient administrator can still be indifferent to justice. A well-equipped institution can still fail the people.

Ultimately, leadership is measured by the condition in which institutions are left, the standards that are set, and the public interest that is protected.

Nigeria will not fix its institutions by appointments alone. But we cannot build better institutions without leaders willing to put duty above privilege.

That is the core lesson here: ‘public office is not a reward for success. It is a test of character.’  

And in a country searching for reasons to trust its institutions, character in public leadership is a national necessity.

Blessing Bem Efe Imohimi, Esquire is  President(Special Grade) of an Area Customary Court in Edo State.

blessingbemimohimi@gmail.com