Abia State Governor, Alex Otti on Thursday flagged off the construction of model court halls in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Speaking at the event in Umuene Autonomous Community, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, Otti described the construction of the model court halls as a fulfillment of “a major campaign promise”.
The governor expressed the commitment of his administration to build a society where everyone had access to justice regardless of their economic and social background.
“We are focused on building an effective ecosystem that delivers justice to the poor and wealthy without bias.
“This project is in line with our vision with working closely with the judiciary arm of government to create robust channels for the speedy dispensation of justice,” he said.
Otti said that under his watch, centers of justice administration in the state would have a functional appeal considering the importance of the judiciary as a major anchor of the state’s civilisation.
He also said that during his administration, the independence of the judiciary remains non -negotiable because the State Government was guided by “the letters and spirit of the law”.
In her speech, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Lilian Abai, commended the present administration in the state government for its efforts towards improving the administration of justice in Abia through the construction of 17 prototype court halls in the 17 LGAs.
Abai said that the construction of the court halls would not only enhance productivity but would also ensure that lawyers and litigants could achieve justice in a safe and comfortable environment.
“I assure the governor that the judiciary would uphold the rule of law in working with other arms of government to make Abia a state we can be proud of,” she said.
In his address, the state Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ikechukwu Uwannna, said that the proposed model court building has been designed to cater for the need of the stakeholders and the current realities of the justice system.
Uwanna said: “The building will have a robing room for lawyers with convenience, a holding room for inmates from the correctional facility, there will also be rooms for ADR and pre-trial.
“There is proper accommodation for the judge; within the judges’ chambers, there is a robing room and decent facilities for the judge, also there is arrangement for legal assistants.
“We have taken time to ensure that the court hall would be powered by renewable energy with adequate provision for natural light and ventilation.”
In his remarks, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Okey Nwamuo, described the project as a welcome development.
“This is the first time the State Government will build courts in the Local Government Areas , because prior to this time, the courts in the LGAs are either built by the colonial masters or host communities.
“This initiative by the government is very commendable,” Nwamuo said.
Also, the Chairman of the state House of assembly Committee on Judiciary and Public Petitions, Mr Anderson Akaliro, said that the ceremony highlights the importance the government attached to the quick dispensation of justice.
Akaliro said that the project would bring justice closer to the people in rural areas, and called on the government to set up a monitoring mechanism for effective execution of the project in the remaining LGAs.
In his speech, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Isiala-Ngwa Branch, Mr Eze Nwaegoro, commended the government for placing the judiciary in the front burner.
Nwaegoro described the initiative as a step in the right direction and which would give Abia Judiciary a pride of place in the comity of judicial stakeholders. (NAN)