By Joyce Onuora
Judicial Infrastructure has been described as crucial for the stimulation of effective and efficient justice delivery system in every democratic dispensation.
This was part of the takeaway message contained in the lecture of the Honourable Minister of Works, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, presented on the day 4 of the 2024 Court of Appeal Justices Annual Conference held at the Court of Appeal Headquarters, Abuja on 12th December 2024. The Honourable minister who delivered a paper captioned: “The Importance of Judicial Infrastructure to Adjudication” stated that improved accessibility to justice system through judicial infrastructure digitalization was an administrative imperative of government at all levels.
He pointed out that improved access roads, courts rooms/judicial quarters, power supply, electronic infrastructure will reduce delays in adjudication, promote qualitative and quantitative judicial productivity and ultimately improve justice delivery system.
He said, “The availability of the needed judicial infrastructure catalyzes equal and free access to justice as well as the speedy dispensation of justice. Infrastructure speaks a lot about enhancing judicial productivity, both qualitatively and quantitatively, as it makes justice delivery system accessible, cost effective, transparent, and accountable.”
The Honourable Minister praised the resilience of judicial officers in Nigeria and the profoundness of their adjudication despite inherent challenges. He reeled out the decisive steps taken by the Renewed Hope administration aimed at tackling the accumulated judicial infrastructure deficits, including the provision of enduring access roads nationwide, modern court structures, increased power supply, other electronic infrastructure and judicial welfare being made available to enhance the operational efficiency of the Judiciary.
He said, “The Renewed Hope agenda of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is anchored on a transformational policy thrust aimed at revolutionizing the critical infrastructure that will stimulate socio-economic development. The infrastructure necessary to ensure delivery of justice and effective adjudication are a part of the policy thrust of Mr. President.” He further said, “Mr. President’s efforts to enhance the operational efficiency of the Judiciary through housing programmes, enhanced welfare package for the judicial officers, creation of enduring road infrastructure, investment in power and digital infrastructure should be commended. All these efforts will have a multiplier effect on the outcome of adjudication as it guarantees accelerated leaning, reduces cost of justice delivery and promotes the independence of the Judiciary.”
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of session and former Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu G. Agabi, SAN, CON commended the Judiciary in Nigeria for upholding the tenets of their constitutional mandate despite daunting challenges. He called on the anti-corruption agencies to find more proactive and more productive measures of fighting corruption noting that government at all levels must be intentional in making Nigeria self reliant. He said “We cannot proceed on the premise that we should build more courts or build more prisons or appoint more judges. No. The proper approach is to build more schools, make the nation self-reliant. The nation is not self-reliant. If the nation is self-reliant, the work of the judges will be reduced. But if we are not self-reliant, of course the kinds of problems that multiply work for the judges. The judges have no lives of their own. They are suffering, I can tell you”. Panel of discussants on the paper presentation were Honourable Justice P. O. Ige, JCA (Rtd) and Honourable Justice J. G. Abundaga, JCA.
The Honourable Minister of Works was honoured at the event as ‘ Fellow of the Court of Appeal’ (FCA).
This was contained in a press statement signed by Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works
