The Bayelsa State Government has pledged commitment towards providing a conducive operating environment for magistrates in its efforts to promote effective and efficient justice delivery in the state.
Governor Douye Diri made the pledge, at the weekend, during the ceremonial court session at the High Court Complex in Yenagoa to mark the official commencement of the 2024/2025 Legal Year in the state.
Represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Governor Diri promised to work with the leadership of the state judiciary to tackle the infrastructural needs such as court halls and offices of magistrates in the state judiciary within limits of available resources.
He said government was also looking at the feasibility of introducing a mobile court justice delivery model in the local areas, especially in the far-flung riverine communities to decentralize the dispensation of justice.
Responding to some issues raised at the special court session, the Bayelsa State Chief Executive appealed to the judiciary to support his administration’s effort towards enforcing environmental laws in the state.
Governor Diri decried the situation whereby property developers deliberately erect structures across natural canals and drainages, which end up creating environmental problems such as waterlogging and flash floods.
Earlier in an address, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, said the state judiciary was working towards actualizing its aspiration of becoming a world-class justice delivery institution, especially with the introduction of the electronic court recording system and e-filing of cases.
Justice Ayemieye disclosed that at the beginning of the outgone legal year, a total of 2,031 pending cases were brought forward, 2,805 fresh cases filed, adding that out of these, 3,023 cases were disposed of.
She further informed that in the year under review, the Magistrate and High Courts in Kaiama were renovated, while the Sagbama and Ogbia High Courts, as well as the Magistrate Courts at Ekeremor, Oloibiri, Kolo, Nembe, Brass, and Okordia/Zarama were awaiting renovation, and appealed to the State Government for intervention.
The state Chief Judge equally appealed to Governor Douye Diri to give approval for the employment of new staff to meet the manpower needs of the state judiciary.
Also speaking, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Daniel Ayah, called on government to increase its funding of the customary courts in the state in view of the inflationary trend in the country.
He also appealed for the appointment of more justices to the bench of the customary court of appeal to reduce their workload.
On his part, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo (SAN), called for more collaboration between the executive and judicial arms of government to sustain the gains made in the justice administration system.
He applauded the Bayelsa State Government for being among the first in Nigeria to grant financial and administrative autonomy to the judiciary, and underscored the need for training of judicial staff in administrative know-how like their counterparts in other government MDAs.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman of the Yenagoa branch, Mr Somina Johnbull, and a senior legal practitioner, Chief Fedude Zimughan, made a case for the upward review of the salaries and allowances of magistrates and the chairmen of customary courts.
While praying God to direct the state judiciary aright, they vehemently condemned the recent killing of Mr Jeremiah Chukwu, a legal practitioner in the state, and called on both the bench and bar to see the fate of the Chukwu family as an attack on the judiciary in general.
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