LAGOS CJ INAUGURATES 47 NEW SHERIFFS TO HASTEN TRIALS, JUSTICE

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, on Monday, inaugurated 47 newly-recruited court sheriffs to hasten trials and justice delivery, charging them to shun corruption and stay above board in the discharge of their assigned duties.

Justice Oke, speaking at the inauguration held at the premises of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, noted that the sheriffs were critical to the smooth running and efficiency of the justice system through serving court papers on litigants as well as enforcing the orders and judgments of the court.

According to her, “The Court could not assume jurisdiction without the proper service of the originating processes”.

She explained that the recruitment and training of the new court sheriffs were targeted at overhauling the old order characterised by complaints of delays in service, failure to serve, falsification of affidavits of service, delays in reporting service, laziness, ineptitude and corruption among other issues.

The Chief Judge said the recruitment was part of her administration’s “wide range of far-reaching innovations” to address some of the lapses in the justice system.

In her words, “You are a new breed. You represent a new dispensation in the Sheriff Corps, and by the Grace of the Almighty God, you have come in at this time to breathe new life and, by God’s grace, to change the old order”.

“You cannot afford to blend with the system. You are expected to stand out, you are expected to stand for what is right at all times. Shun all forms of corruption and take your jobs seriously”, Oke emphasised.

At the ceremony, the 47 new sheriffs were presented with certificates, marking their completion of a three-week induction course at the Lagos State Judiciary Training School.