The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, on Friday, said that oath taking or swearing-in into public office is not something to celebrate.

He charged the newly inaugurated Chief Judges of the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court to know the kind of people they move with and to maintain their principles.

He said this after the oaths of office were administered to the new Chief Judges, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court and Justice Benedict Kanyipp of the National Industrial Court at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja.

He said the law is not a respecter of persons, and urged them to deal with the situation as placed before them and never to hesitate “to resign” when they realised an issue of conflict of interest.

“Doing otherwise would bring about a lot of challenges,” the CJN warned.

He said, “As it is generally, oath-taking or swearing-in into an office is not something that is celebrated. It is something that actually requires that we sympathise with the person that is sworn in.

“Why did I say so? All your conduct, all your dealings must be within that oath.

“Remember that the oath is a dealing between you and your creator, we are only witnessing it.

“An office like that of a judge is something that requires prayers for the person that is taking the oath. So we pray that God will see you through to the end of your tenure.

“You have said God help you. But God will only help you if you help yourself.

“And the only way you can help yourself is to know your onions, know the people you move with and know your principles.

” Don’t let anybody disturb your principles.”