From Tom Garba, Yola
Ten years after the Adamawa State Judiciary last observed the start of a legal year, it marked the start of 2015/2016 new legal year yesterday at a ceremony with a call by the state Chief Judge, Hon. Ishaya I.K. Banu, on the government to implement full financial autonomy for the judiciary.
The colourful ceremony held at the headquarters of the state High Court and Sharia Court of Appeal in Yola, with the Adamawa State Governor Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, witnessing the events.
Banu, who noted in his speech at the event that the ceremony last took place in the state 10 years ago, said the state judiciary has been in a “near state of comatose” since one of its longest serving Chief Judge, Justice Bamare Bansi, retired in 2011.
The state chief judge, who pushed for the implementation of financial autonomy, observed that most of its problems could have been solved alone without resort to the executive, stressing that currently the state lacked court halls and other essential infrastructure for the effective dispensation of justice.
Among the myriad of problems besetting the third tier of government in the state, which Banu urged the state governor quickly redress was the non-payment of the entitlement of judicial officers who have retired and facelift for courts across the state which he described as being in a state of disrepair.
“It is on record for instance that Hon. Justice Tokunboh Oluoti retired on March 2008, Hon. Justice Adamu Buba Mubi retired on 10th of December, 2009 and Hon. Justice B. S Bans I (OFR), who was a chief judge of the state for almost 20 years and who retired on 15th of July 2011 are yet to be paid their entitlement. We appeal to His Excellency to consider their plight and please pay them their entitlements,” Banu said.
As the judiciary entered new legal year, Banu prayed for the members of the judiciary to be clothed with fear to dispense justice to all.
Governor Bindow said his administration would continue to respect the judiciary and strengthen its operation in the best ways possible.
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