From Tom Garba, Yola
As part of activities to kick-start the 2014/2015 Legal Year in Adamawa State, Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow has pledged to reconstruct the dilapidated police roundabout court building.
He stated this during an event to mark the commencement of the 2014/2015 legal year held at the High Court Complex in Jimeta.
Governor Bindow said that for justice reforms to be effective, the justice system in the state needs to be fast tracked.
“I promise to reconstruct the police roundabout court as well as provide enabling environment for the judiciary to perform its statutory role to the state and society at large,” Bindow said.
He explained that the judiciary was an important arm of government and would be accorded the due respect and called for patience as the administration was barely three months in office.
The governor assured that the promise made to Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, (JUSUN) was gradually being fulfilled to enhance credible judicial system in the state.
In his remark, Chief Justice of the state Justice Ishaya Kida Banu, said similar event took place 10 years ago and lamented the deteriorating situation of the judiciary in the last few years in the state.
He called on government to respect its promise made to JUSUN and commended the government for providing operational vehicles to the justices and khadis to enhance their duties.
Justice Banu also told the governor that retired justices were yet to be paid their entitlements adding that implementation of agreements earlier reached with the judicial workers would greatly assist in placing the judiciary in the right place to discharge its responsibility to the society.
He called for the autonomy of the judiciary to enable it discharge its role effectively.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Bala Silas Sanga, described the law as a tool for social engineering and noted that without respect for the rule of law, no society can progress.
He stressed that the state will soon commence the domestication of some federal laws in the state while e-law library have been established for use by lawyers in the state.
According to him a committee have been put in place to realise this objective.
State Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Barrister Baba Kano, said the ceremony was an avenue for the judiciary to evaluate the outgoing year as well as plan the year ahead.
He said the union had taken measures to check activities of quacks, pointing out that “there is room for improvement.”
At the event, Justice Banu inspected guard of honour mounted by the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
Leave a Reply