10 Years After: Adamawa Judiciary Marks Legal Year Ceremony.... As CJ Laments Neglect By Govt.
10 years after the Adamawa state judiciary yesterday marked the start of 2015/2016 new legal year ceremony with a call by the state chief Judge Hon. Ishaya I.K. Banu on the government to implement full financial autonomy for the judiciary.
The colourful ceremony which held at the premises of the headquarters of the state high court and sharia Court of appeal in Yola, with the Adamawa state Governor Sen. Mohammed Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, witnessing the events, which saw the Chief Judge of the state Justice Ishaya I. Banu, lamenting the neglect of the judiciary during the start of the 2015/2016 legal year.
Banu who noted in his speech at the event that the ceremony last took place in the state about 10 years, equally said the state judiciary has been in a "near state of comatose" since one of its longest serving chief judge of the state justice Bamare Bansi retired in 2011.
The state chief judge who pushed for the implementation of financial autonomy observed that most of its problems could have been solved alone without resort to the executive, stressed that currently the state lacked court halls and other essential infrastructure for the effective dispensation of justice.
Among the myriad of problems besetting the third tier of government in the state,which Banu urged the state governor quickly redress were the non payment of judicial officers who have retired from its employ their entitlement and face lift of courts across the state which he described as being in a state of disrepair.
" It is on record for instance that Hon. Justice Tokunboh Oluoti retired on March 2008, Hon. Justice Adamu Buba Mubi retired on 10th of December, 2009 and Hon. Justice B. S Bans I (OFR), who was a chief judge of the state for almost 20 years and who retired on 15th of July 2011 are yet to be paid their entitlement. We appeal to His Excellency to consider their plight and please pay them their entitlements," Banu said.
As the judiciary entered new legal year, 2015/2016, Banu prayed for the members of the judiciary to be clothed with fear so that her members can dispense justice to all.
However, Gov. Bindow said his administration will continue to respect the judiciary and strengthen its operation in the best possible he can.