By Bartholomew Madukwe

CHIEF Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, has made good on his promise of bringing justice to the doorstep of FCT residents as he commissioned a High Court and  three new Magistrates Courts in different parts of the FCT, Abuja.

Chief judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, (middle), with other guests at the commissioning of a High Court and three new Magistrates Courts in FCT, Abuja.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Magistrate Court in Zuba, Justice Bello thanked the Minister of the FCT, for allocating land to the FCT Judiciary to build the Magistrates Court. He urged residents not to take laws into their own hands, but to make use of the court facilities there to seek redress  in times of dispute.

Justice Bello, said “The Bar and Bench belong to the same family and should work together to ensure justice delivery. The Karu and Nyanya Judicial Divisions will be established in the next three months to bring justice closer to the people, to reduce the suffering of citizens and drastically reduce the incidence of people taking laws into their own hands.

“A Chief Magistrate was posted here so that he can cover the field and do such other things that a Junior Magistrate cannot do.”

Before cutting the tape, Mr. Y. Wodi, who represented the FCT Minister expressed the willingness and readiness of the FCT authorities to cooperate with the Judiciary for speedy justice delivery in the territory.

At Lugbe, where he commissioned another Magistrate Court, Justice Bello commended one of the pioneer judges of the FCT Judiciary, Justice V. Onejeme (retd). He said: “ The FCT Judiciary will never forget you. The history of the FCT Judiciary will not be complete without mentioning the worthy roles she played, the FCT judiciary is setting the  pace by recognizing our past and we appreciate the FCT Minister for allocating  this plot of land for the building of the Magistrate Court.”

Before cutting the tape to commission the court, Mrs. Onejeme urged  FCT judicial officers to make the CJ  proud by working hard to deliver justice to the people of the territory.

She said: “Do justice in this place and no more. If you wrong anybody here, your own judgment is waiting for you upstairs.”

While cutting the tape to declare open the High Court at Mpape, the former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Abdullahi Ibrahim, SAN, said: “I am not surprised that these strings of achievements at the FCT Judiciary are happening under the present administration because we know who is in charge, we have watched him grow and we know what he can do.

Matter of building a court

“It is not a matter of building a Court and looking for a Magistrate to man the Court, but a magistrate is already available and ready to move in. We have confidence that you will do more things and the Abuja Judiciary will be worthy of emulation.”

At Wuse Zone II, where construction work is going on at the Headquarters building of the FCT High Court,  Justice Bello said: “This is to first and foremost acquaint the judges and directors with what is going on at this site. This is the very root of the FCT Judiciary.

Work here has been stalled for years because of funds. If funds are released and this project is completed, we will reduce if not completely eradicate the incidence of delays in our courts. One floor will carry more chambers than courts. We may not go by many courts, we will go by timing.

“Courts will sit according to their time and those who do not have any business at the court have no need of coming here and judges who are not sitting because other courts are sitting at the halls, will be busy doing other works in chambers. There will be religious compliance with time frame.

No lawyer will have excuses any longer not to be in court, if you are not coming, you must send in a junior from your law firm if not, you will be foreclosed.”