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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, explained that no arm of government and sector in the state has been treated poorly in terms of allocation of funds and distribution of infrastructure.
He made the explanation at the flag-off of construction work on the Magistrates Court complex performed by the Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Responding to an allusion made by one of the speakers, who cited a question that a friend asked him about so much attention being paid to the judiciary, Wike said the person must be a mischief-maker.
Governor Wike said so much money had been spent in the health sector, which could not be compared to what has been spent in the judiciary. He said it would be the last project his administration would be executing for the judiciary before his tenure ends and assured it would be completed within the next eight months.
Other ongoing projects, he said, include the state judiciary institute, the Federal Judicial Service Commission for the South South, allocated to Rivers State.
The governor, however, took a swipe at the state judiciary over the lack of space and courtrooms in the High Court premises that make magistrates and judges share courtrooms.
He queried what they have been doing with their capital budget released to them in the last six and half years. He said they cannot receive such money and still wait for the executive to provide offices for them, effect repairs on existing offices and also make the air conditional in the courtrooms functional.
“Again, why do you recommend for the appointment of new magistrates when you know there is no court for them. Why? As I speak today, we are not owing the judiciary any dime,” he said.
Governor Wike stated that when the new Magistrate Court complex is completed, it would be fitted with all modern facilities and help decongest the state High Court.
Governor Fayemi commended Governor Wike for the transformational work, not just in the judiciary but in every sector in the state.
He observed that what is happening to the magistracy in Rivers State and the ongoing construction of campus of Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt were also worthy of commendation.
The Chief Judge, Simeon Amadi, said the construction of the magistrate courts complex has come at an auspicious time most desired.
He said it would decongest the state High Court complex where Magistrate Court is currently being housed.
Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Zacchaeus Adangor, said the stability, peace and order of any society depends largely on the administration of justice.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Okey Wali, said Governor Wike has the hindsight of understanding the peculiar problems of the judiciary and is deliberately addressing them in order to also strengthen democracy.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, George Kelly-Dax Alabo, said the complex sits on a 10.150 squares meters of land and contain 24 courts in two storey of four buildings that would have six courts each.
