Rivers Judiciary Reforms, Very Bold -UNODC

The United Nations Officer on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has described as bold, recent judicial reforms initiated by the Rivers State judiciary under Justice Iche Ndu.

UNODC’s National Project Coordinator, Ugonna Ezekwem stated this during a town hall meeting jointly organised by the body and the state judiciary in Port Harcourt, Monday.

The coordinator recalled that in 2006, the judiciary introduced a new civil procedure rules for the High Courts, and in 2007, a new civil procedure rules for the magistrate court all aimed at improving court proceedings in the state.

She added that “ the state has introduced mediation centres in the ministry of Justice, which has diverted many claims or minor disputes from the mainstream courts to alternate dispute resolution methods. The state’s judiciary has provided computers to all High Court Judges and introduced pilot automation of court proceedings in selected High Court rooms, which would improve administration of justice in the state and reduce delays in proceedings when it is eventually extended to all the courts”

Commendable as the achievements are, she cautioned that they should not make them relax, but should rather spur ‘the members of the various committees, who work relentlessly, towards the implementation of Rivers State action plan, and give the users of the courts the confidence to hold the judiciary and other justice sector institutions accountable for their own ambitious commitments, as stated in the action plan’.

Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon Justice Iche Ndu, who declared the meeting open, said that judiciary is well funded by government , pointing out that ‘ no judge in the state is corrupt”

The meeting was attended by representatives of market women, students, police, labour, traditional rulers, prisons, media, bar and the Bench, among others.

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