AMBODE CHARGES JUDICIARY ON QUICK DISPENSATION OF CASES, EFFICIENT JUDICIAL SYSTEM
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has called on judges and other relevant stakeholders in the judiciary to always ensure quick dispensation of justice and avoid the problem of delay which is the current trend in the nation’s judicial system.
The Governor, who made the call today at the Year 2018 Legal Year ceremony held at the Lagos Central Mosque, Lagos, noted that the plague of delay in the justice delivery system is still of major concern to all because the Judiciary is seen as the last hope for the common man.
Ambode, represented at the event by the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule called on all stakeholders in the sector to always ensure that the issue of delay in judicial procedure is tackled vigorously through the creation of innovative models for achieving speedy and efficient justice delivery system that can be replicated across the country.
“The expectations of the citizenry are huge and requires all stakeholders to work continuously to enhance confidence in the legal system, promote the rule of law, guarantee the protection of lives and property of the citizens”, he stated.
The Governor assured members of the judiciary that the present administration would continue to support and implement policies that promote the growth of the sector, stressing that the State government’s belief in the rule of law and order necessitated the various reforms introduced to bring sanity to the judicial system.
According to him, “As a government, our administration appointed more Judges and Magistrates because of the increased workload and number of cases pending in courts while more courthouses were constructed and existing ones renovated just to bring about efficiency in the administration of justice and promote the rule of law”.
“The introduction of the Lagos State DNA & Forensic Centre is to further enhance the quality of Justice delivery in the State and we have also developed policies and legislation that will aid speedy dispensation of justice”, he added.
The Guest Lecturer, Dr. Ismail Musa, said that there was a need for the judiciary to devise new ways of tackling the issues of the backlog of cases, prison congestion and delay in handling cases through endless adjournments, noting that these were the factors mitigating against a fair and responsive system of justice in Nigeria.
He admonished the judiciary to hate injustice just as Allah hates injustice and urged them to discharge their duties with the utmost sense of fairness and in consonance with Almighty Allah’s doctrine in justice, equity and fairness.