AMBODE COMMISSIONS OLUSOLA THOMAS COURTHOUSE IN BADAGRY

… Says Distance, Location Would No Longer Hamper Justice Delivery

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday commissioned six Courtroom Complex in Badagry, just as he restated the determination of his administration to continue to expand the frontier of justice delivery across all the divisions of the State.

The Governor, who also named the new Court House after the late retired Chief Judge of the State, Justice Olusola Thomas, assured Lagosians that distance and geographical location would no longer be a barrier to the rule of law and social justice.

Governor Ambode maintained that the present administration identified the need to expand the capacity of the judicial system within the Badagry axis to bring it at par with the spontaneous infrastructural transformation presently ongoing within the division.

“As evident to all, the prospect of prosperity is gradually manifesting in the entire division of Badagry and the resultant increase in business and human activities would invariably increase the rate of disputes. This development requires that the justice administration here be expanded to handle the volume of court cases that would arise in the future”, he reiterated.

While restating his commitment to a more functional and responsive judicial system in the State, Ambode promised to increase the number of Justices and Magistrates in various courts in the State as a way of reducing the workload on the present number of Judges and Magistrates.

In her remarks, the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, said that the commissioning of the court complex is another commitment fulfilled by the Akinwunmi Ambode administration.

She recalled that Badagry, as a judicial division of the High Court of Lagos State created a few years back, can now boast of a modern Court complex, adding that the Judges do not need to share a courtroom any longer.

The Chief Judge gave the assurance that the state judiciary will continue to pursue its mission with discipline, honesty, hard work, integrity, credence, dignity and honour without diminishing the zeal for results and excellence.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Mr. Adeniji Kazeen commended the commitment of Governor Ambode on the quick dispensation of justice and for continually improving the state of infrastructure of the state Judiciary.

He described the commissioning as one of the strategies of increasing access to justice as well as a way of bringing justice closer to the people regardless of where anyone may reside.

Kazeem said that the Governor had in the last two years paid adequate attention to the judiciary sector with the promulgation of various judicial reforms that had hitherto paved way for easier justice administration in addition to the construction of modern court facilities across the State.

He informed that the Governor had also approved the establishment of Commercial Courts, adding that plans are already ongoing to begin work on the laudable initiative.

A representative of the family of the late Chief Judge, Olumide Ayo-Thomas described the honour of naming the new court after the late Chief Judge as historic.

He, therefore, thanked the state government, saying that the commissioning of the courthouse also coincides with the posthumous birthday celebration of the deceased.

Recall that Justice Olusola Thomas served as Chief Judge of Lagos State between March and November 1996.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr. Adeniji Kazeem has presented and launched the Plea and Sentence Bargain handbook to the public to assist in effective justice delivery process in Lagos State.

According to him, the plea bargain has been part of the Lagos State criminal justice system for over a decade but has been poorly utilized by lawyers.