AbdulRazaq set to give the State Judiciary a face-lift

AbdulRazaq set to give the State Judiciary a face-lift

The administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is set to give the state judiciary a face-lift, promises better working environment.

The Governor made this known on Tuesday when the newly inaugurated Ilorin branch executive committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) paid him a courtesy visit.

Speaking to the delegation, the Governor said plans were afoot to build a new high court and a befitting complex for the ministry of justice in the state as part of his efforts to create a better working environment for the judiciary.

His words:

“I appreciate the fact that you said you have seen some changes in the state. We will try to do more to create a just society, where everybody has access to social amenities and good governance.

“You made some few requests which we will look into: the issue of customary courts. I will take it up with the Chief Judge of the State and discuss it and see how we can go about it. It is something I had earlier discussed with the CJ. Your courtrooms are truly in a bad shape. It is just that the resources are not there but we will take it one by one.”

“Just last week I was sharing the design of a new high court with the CJ. We have a new design for new high court and ministry of Justice and so on. Not just a new court, the CJ also complained about the benches and I said most courts these days do not use benches any more; it is something that we have to change. We are up to that.”

The Governor also welcomed the national journey towards autonomy for the judiciary, legislature, and the local governments, saying he had always been an advocate of autonomy for each of arm of government, including the local government which he described as the closest to the grassroots.

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He added, however, that autonomy would come with its own challenges especially the financial obligations to be borne by each arm of government, particularly the issue of pensions, gratuities, and contract awards, among others.

“Personally I feel that (autonomy) is a way to go. There are issues to tackle in that respect. If you say total autonomy, are we moving the pension and gratuity to the judiciary or to the House Assembly? Is Judiciary going to set up its own mechanical and housing departments to take care of and award contracts and do other things? So, those are the issues we need to tackle.

“From what we have noticed so far on local government autonomy, which I always champion because they are closer to the people and should be allowed to do their jobs with the resources they have and they should have. But over time, the cost of running local government (in Kwara, for instance) has bloated beyond what can effectively run the local government.

“At the beginning of this republic, the cost of running local government in terms of salary, pension and gratuity was about 30/40% of their income. Today, it is 100% or a little less. For example, in Kwara what we get averagely as income for local governments is about N2.6b. The wage bill is N2.6b (salary, gratuity and pension) and that is on N18,000 minimum wage.

“We are yet to agree on the new minimum wage of N30,000 based on issues surrounding how they can afford it and in view of the law (banning states from handling LG funds). Some months they get N2.8b, N2.7b and N2.3b but the average has been N2.6b.

By the current consequential increment, the local governments will need roughly N400m more to pay the new minimum wage and that is the challenge…”, the Governor said.

The delegation headed by the chairman of the Ilorin branch of NBA, Barrister Abdulganiyu, had earlier appreciated the governor on some of the laudable projects his administration had embarked upon, especially his passionate attention to the judicial arm of government.

Bello appealed to the governor to see to the improved welfare of the judiciary while also assisting in the establishment of a customary Court of Appeal in Kwara State.”

The courtesy visit was attended by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Salman Jawondo.

AbdulRazaq set to give the State Judiciary a face-lift
Delegation of the Ilorin chapter of the NBA during a courtesy visit to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq

Judiciary to get a face-lift, AbdulRazaq

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