Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has said his administration hope to build ultra modern zonal courts in Edo Central and North Senatorial Districts so that justice can easily be accessible by justice seekers who live within the locality.
Obaseki expressed concern over the dilapidated court buildings in rural areas, saying that his administration would continue to support the judicial arm of government.
The governor, who gave the assurance on Wednesday at the handover ceremony of the newly built ultra modern high court in Benin City, noted that the judiciary is important for the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy.
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He said his administration would commit to working with the judiciary in retooling the revenue collection system to expand the revenue from judicial arm of government.
“Without the judiciary we cannot have democracy. We are hoping to come up with plans to build circuit court like zonal courts in Auchi and Ekpoma. We will work with the judiciary to reposition magistrates in Edo state
“I can’t tell you how sad I felt during my electioneering; recall we went to 192 wards and what I saw in some communities were sad structures. You couldn’t call those buildings,” Obaseki said.
Earlier, Esther Edigin, the Chief Judge of Edo State commended the governor for his commitment to repositioning the judiciary in the state.
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Justice Edigin appealed to Obaseki to urgently review upward funds allocated to the judiciary including the high court, judicial service commission and multi-door court house as monthly overhead.
“I recalled that sometimes in December 2018, your excellency unveiled his avowed and glorious plan to reposition Edo State as the judicial hub in the South-South region.
“On a similar note, on the recent occasion of the swearing in of 8 high court judges of Edo State judiciary, your excellency declared that for us to have a virile democracy, we must strengthen the rule of law, making sure that the judiciary is one of the strongest arms of our democracy in Nigeria,” she said.
Edigin continues, “The governor’s resolution and determination to make Edo a judicial hub has undoubtedly driven this conception and infrastructural development of what I have come to refer to as the trinity projects for Edo State judiciary.
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“The trinity project are the construction and completion of the modern high court building, judges quarters and massive renovation of the old high court.”