Ekaette Obot, Akwa Ibom State Chief Judge, has lamented the challenge of the fast depleting staff members of the judiciary due to retirement and deaths without any replacement saying it has impacted negatively on quick dispensation of justice.
Obot said the last recruitment into the state judiciary was carried out in 2012 adding that within the last two years, “an unprecedented number of 316 staff members have retired from service without replacement.”
“When staff retire, they exit the service with their skills and knowledge. When retirement goes for many years without regular replacement, many skills and competencies are lost,” the CJ stated.
Speaking during the commencement of the 2024/2025 legal year, the Chief Judge said to address the staff shortage, the judiciary had to resort to assigning one staff member to cover the schedule of two and sometimes three and also employ the use of temporary hand adding that “the device cannot be sustainable in the long term.”
“We therefore trust in this new legal year, that the governor would grant us leave to recruit more staff,’’ Obot stated.
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On revenue generation, the Akwa Ibom Chief Judge said the judiciary generated N62 million between August 2023 and July 2024 for the state government while it disposed of 68 cases, out of 133 cases with 65 cases pending.
The Chief judge who had suggested the establishment of a school programme for inmates of the various correctional centres in the state after a tour of custodial formations said it would ensure basic education for them as well as skill acquisition for them.
Earlier, at a thanksgiving service held at Qua Iboe Church to mark the commencement of the legal year, awards of excellence were presented to Governor Umo Eno, the head of the state civil service, Effiong Essien and the outgoing Akwa Ibom State controller of corrections , Julius Ezugwu while prayers were offered for a successful legal year.
Meanwhile, Governor Umo Eno has pledged a healthy collaboration with the judiciary and prioritising the welfare of the judicial officers in the state.
He said the state government would set up a housing estate for the judges to ensure their welfare and accommodation. The governor spoke at the church service held to mark the new legal year adding that the state government has already acquired land for the housing estate.
“We have acquired a land and I will invite you to a ground-breaking of a brand new estate that we want to put together for only judges. It will actually be for serving judges. For the retired judges,they already have their homes and we will support them.”
Eno lauded the state judiciary for upholding the annual tradition of stock-taking and for innovations brought to bear to decongest prisons, accelerating trials and reducing the backlog of awaiting trial cases.
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