Governor Seriake Dickson has canvassed more funding for the judiciary to enable it function optimally. He spoke yesterday at a valedictory session for Justice Emmanuel Ogola in Yenagoa.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having noted that his administration over the years had strategically repositioned the state judiciary to become one of the best in the country.Dickson, who said his administration was first in the country to grant the judiciary financial autonomy, expressed regret that recession hit the country shortly after the bill was signed into law.
His words: “Financial autonomy is critical to the proper functioning of the judiciary. Bayelsa is a pioneer in this area. After our government signed the Judicial Financial Autonomy into law, recession hit us; the spirit was willing but the body became weak.”He expressed the state government’s commitment to the completion of ongoing projects in the various sectors particularly the judiciary quarters before the end of his administration.
Dickson said by the end of this week, contractors would be mobilised to site to resume work on the edifice that would accommodate 17 courts. On the provision of official vehicles for judges and magistrates in the state, the governor restated that in no distant time, they would be made available. In her address, the Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, said during the previous legal year, steps were taken to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.She, however, lamented that funding of the judiciary had been constituting an obstacle to the execution of capital projects.