By Adeke Aondongu Abel

I HAVE been a keen observer of developments within the Judiciary and the Federal High Court in particular. I have had the opportunity of listening to speeches of both the Chief Judges (past and present) specifically from Justice I.N Auta MFR, Justice Abdu Kafarati and now Justice J.T. Tsoho during the legal year and end of year programmes speeches were made, achievements are enumerated and promises are also made.

From 2012 to 2019 I have had the opportunity of listening to the chief judges and the chief registrar and carefully I have also done my findings with regards to the achievements so far attained. From the speeches I have observed that between 2016 to 2019 projects like Federal High Court complex in Damaturu, Yenegoa and four Judges Quarters that were started by the administration under Justice I.N Auta with Mr Ayo Emmanuel as the chief registrar were completed by the administration under Justice Kafarati with the current chief registrar. This was in addition to what Mrs. Rosemary Oghoghorie did before handing over on her appointment as a Judge.

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Similarly under the leadership of Justice Abdu Kafarati and the present chief registrar two court complexes were completed and fully in use at Damaturu and Yenagoa. Also the houses in Lagos were completed, furnished and in use by the judges serving in Lagos.

The Federal High Court headquarters’ extension and the 20 courts complex building in Lagos are at finishing stages. Infact from the speeches of the legal year, Justice Olaterogun’s valedictory and the end of year programme 2019, the projects may be handed over to the court by year 2020. Should be any failure, this should be attributed to the contractors not the court since all monies allocated to the projects have been promptly paid.

This would bring a very big relief to the Judges and Staff in Lagos division of the Court. Judges and staff welfare have been promised by both the current chief judge and the chief registrar during the end of year programme. I have also watched with keen interest the human and capital developments in the Federal High Court, particularly in the area of training and retraining of both staff and Judges.

Vehicles are also being bought and replaced by the administration and these have assisted greatly in ensuring that both the judges and staff do their work with ease of transportation.

The staff based on the speech of the end of year programme of 2015 and 2016 are being paid overtime and at least attend training courses once a year. As in other government departments, staff enjoy free transportation.

I was privileged to check on outstations and discovered that no outstation has less than at least a Toyota Hilux as utility or Hilux and a coaster bus or eighteen seater depending on the population of staff working in a particular jurisdiction.

I must commend efforts of the chief judges and the chief registrars particularly the present chief registrar who has achieved much just as his predecessors in office, in making sure that available resources are being utilised properly.

The harmonious relationship within the court allows for all these achievements enumerated and from all indication I came to the conclusion that the chief judges and the chief registrars have the interest of the court at heart and I believe that they will take the court to a higher level beyond the present state.