Okowa Tasks Judiciary On Justice Delivery

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa says the Judiciary has to continue to find ways to deliver justice in a timely, transparent and equitable manner.
The Governor said this at a Special Thanksgiving Mass to mark the beginning of the new legal year 2020/2021 held at the Emmanuel the Saviour Catholic Church, Asaba, on Monday.
He said that timely delivery of justice was vital to the health of the justice system and how it is perceived by the public, from which it derives its ultimate authority.
According to the Governor who was represented by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, ”As you prepare to enter the new year, what is clear is that the judiciary has to continue to find ways to deliver justice in a timely, transparent, and equitable manner. Hence, as I said three years ago, “it behoves you men of the bench, wig and silk to, as a matter of exigency, interrogate the use of interlocutory injunctions and the requests for adjournments so that they do not obstruct or delay the course of justice.” It may sound trite but the reason we have to keep saying this is because it is so vital to the health of the justice system and how it is perceived by the public, from which it derives its ultimate authority”.
“In the course of the 2019/2020 legal year, we appointed five new high court judges and three customary area court judges. We recognise the need to fill vacancies as quickly as possible so that the cause of justice is not hindered through inadequate manpower. It underscores this administration’s resolve to build capacity in the judiciary, enhance the process of justice delivery, and provide a conducive working environment for our judges/support staff.” the governor said.
He stated that some mischief makers whose stock-in-trade is to cause confusion and fan the embers of disunity, had wrongly accused the government of not appointing judges to man the various judicial divisions in the State, saying that; “It is important that people get themselves properly informed so that they don’t mislead the public and heat up the polity unnecessarily”.

By: Albert Ograka, Asaba