Gov. Obiano to appoint 8 new judges, approves construction of 30 more magistrate court halls
Anambra State legal year began this week with hint of the appointment of eight new judges and plans to build 30 more magistrate halls, all to fast-track justice delivery in the state. This is the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Paulinus Ezeokafor, on Sunday, September 21, 2014, tasked judges and others involved in the dispensation of justice in the society to always imbibe the principles of equity, fairness and good conscience in the discharge of their duty.
Speaking at the special church service to mark the beginning of the legal year of Anambra State Judiciary at Saint Patrick’s Church, Awka, the state governor, Willie Obiano, thanked the state Judiciary for its complementary role in the fight against criminality in the state.
The governor assured the judiciary in the state of better days ahead hinted about the new appointments and constructions.
In a special court session to mark the event, the Chief Judge of the state, Peter Umeadi, restated the need for financial autonomy for the judiciary, pursuant to section 121 (3) of the 1999 constitution of Nigerian and a recent court judgment in that respect.
In his special homily titled; “Healers, Called to Serve the Truth in Love” at the Eucharistic, the cleric said: “First, although the criminal has so to say lost his integrity through his or her behaviour, we are still challenged to treat these ones with utmost respect because of their God-given dignity. It is absolutely important to expedite the trial of offenders. The situation of keeping people awaiting trial for years is unacceptable.”
He went on: “The second proposal I want to make is about public enlightenment. A visit to our prisons shows that some of the convicts are there because they were deceived either by the investigating police officer or someone else to plead guilty to the offence they were charged with, in the belief that this would gain them their freedom. I think that there is need for public enlightenment campaign to make sure that no innocent victim of circumstance is put behind bars through deceit”.
He spoke of reports of minors who were sometimes being held in the same facilities as convicted adult offenders. “If this is true, we can expect that these minors would come out of these places hardened all the more. For the good of our society, suitable facilities for the reform of juvenile offenders should be made available. This is a campaign that all of us should prosecute. But as members of the bar and the bench, your leadership in this matter is needed since you operate an essential component of the justice system”.
The bishop added: “My last suggestion is with regards to crime prevention. By addressing some root causes of crime, such as delinquency, unemployment, the get-rich-quick syndrome and the enthronement of money as the dominant value in our society will be taken care of.”
Emeka Osondu