Wike Describes Judiciary As Fulcrum Of His Reforms

By Remi Johnson

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, says the role consistently played by the Judiciary in the territory will keep serving as the fulcrum of his reforms in 2024.

Wike who stated this at the commencement of the 2023-2024 FCT Legal Year, explained that it is the Judiciary that ensures contracts are upheld, disputes are fairly resolved and justice is accessible to all.

Wike while noting that his Administration’s reforms are encompassing in various aspects including urban development, infrastructure, education, healthcare and governance, said the legal system provides the framework within which these reforms must operate.

He therefore called on members of the Bench and the Bar to provide the needed guidance and support to his Administration as it navigates the legal intricacies of transforming the nation’s Capital.

Earlier, the Chief Judge of FCT, Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf said with only 58 Judges on the Bench in FCT High Courts, the Courts remain overstretched in terms of case loads.

The consequences of such case overload, according to the Chief Judge, includes delays in the legal process and potential strain on the Judicial System.

Justice Baba Yusuf said the FCT High Courts are creatively adopting various means of addressing the situation “by using e-filling to ehance efficiency, prioritizing old cases and urgent matters, encouraging parties to resolve disputes through mediation or arbitration and use of plea bargain mechanisms”.

According to the FCT Chief Judge, of the 5,952 assigned new cases in the FCT High Court in 2022/2023, 4,293 cases were successfully determined representing a completion rate of 72.4% while out of the total of 7,354 new cases filed at the Magistrate Courts, 7328 were successfully determined representing cases completion rate of 99.6%.

Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf however said there were 13,996 cases still pending in both civil and criminal matters at the Magistrate Court as the 2022/2023 legal year wounds up.

Several other speeches were also delivered by key speakers including the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, represented by President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau.

A Special Open Ceremonial Court Session was also held where hardworking staff of the FCT High Court were recognized for their contributions to service delivery in the Judiciary sector.

Edited By Grace Namiji