President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Okey Wali, said on Monday that it is impossible for the country to attract foreign or local investments without a credible and efficient judiciary.

Wali made the assertion at the opening of the NBA annual conference in Makurdi, capital of Benue State.

He said the volume of inflow of investments into the country had a way of affecting the economic stability of the country, adding that economic activities cannot increase if the judiciary is weak.

The NBA president said the conference with the theme “Justice Delivery: the Challenges and Opportunities for Stakeholders”, was organised to reflect current changes occurring in the legal profession as they relate to the provision of legal services.

He said the changes were influenced by global happenings and had the capacity to influence the marketability of legal services.

Wali noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill aimed at reforming criminal procedure in the country was still pending at the National Assembly, adding that the bill would be subjected to public hearing to enable stakeholders make contributions that would reshape it for the overall good of the country.

The former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Dahiru Musdapher, said the theme of the conference was a clarion call for judicial officers to make adjustments.

Musdapher said the purpose for such adjustments was to provide effective services to the people as the theme suggested that all was not well with the judiciary in the country.

He called on judicial officers to take the right steps that would redress the challenges in the sector, noting that litigation in the country had fallen short of the requirements of the constitutional provisions since matters were not expeditiously disposed of.