• Fayemi lays foundation for Magistrates’ Court’s complex in Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has queried the Judiciary in the state over its utilisation of all the budgetary allocations it received from the government in the past six and a half years.
The governor spoke yesterday when he accompanied his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to the foundation-laying ceremony of the Magistrates’ Court complex in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Wike was reacting to reports that there was shortage of space and courtrooms in the High Court, compelling the magistrates and other judges to share courtrooms.
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-conditioners in the courtrooms functional.
“Let me say something I find very disturbing because it is self-indictment. You said people sit in the morning, people sit in the afternoon because there is no space.
“The question now becomes: what has the Judiciary been doing with its capital budget? This is because I’m surprised. All these (projects) that are being done are carried out by the Executive. We release your capital budget as at when due.
“Again, why do you recommend 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.”
Wike explained that no arm of government and sector in the state had been treated poorly in the allocation of funds and distribution of infrastructure.
Responding to the remarks by one of the speakers at the event, the governor said no arm of government or sector was neglected under his administration.
Fayemi hailed Wike for transforming every sector in the state.
He said: “Even if he (Wike) is not a lawyer, he is educated enough to know the importance of this arm of government and particularly the importance of the magistracy to the administration of justice in the country. What Governor Wike has done is going to make a fundamental difference.
“From the statistics I’ve seen, 70 per cent of matters relating to criminal justice administration is handled at the magistracy. That contributes immensely to addressing our long-standing problem of awaiting trial detainees in our prisons.”
