The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, on Monday decried the high number of cases pending before the court, disclosing that some judges have over 1,000 pending cases.

He pointed Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt Divisions of the court as having the highest number of cases.

“We are accustomed to being expected to do more with less or no resources provided at all. While our needs continue to rise, funding doesn’t keep pace,” Justice Tsoho added.

Justice Tsoho, who spoke during a special court session the high court held to mark its 2022/2023 legal year, said that sections 29 (5) and 84 (14) of the Electoral Act, 2022, foisted on the high court, the exclusive jurisdiction of hearing and determining pre-election complaints, with section 285 (10) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, mandating that such cases must be concluded with 180 days from the date of filing of the suit.

“This is notwithstanding the judges’ existing high-volume dockets that present enormous challenges.

“It is necessary to place on record that the Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022, was enacted without any consultation with the Court. Also, no support whatsoever was provided to address the increased responsibility. This weighed heavily on the operations of the Court,” he stated.

[12/13, 08:18] Ali Adoyi Abah: Pensioners block Govt House, demand payment of entitlements

Pensioners in Niger state yesterday stormed the gate of the Government House, chanting anti-APC administration songs and demanding the payment of their entitlements.

They charged Governor Abubarkar Sani Bello to pay their entitlements before vacating office.

For fear of security breach, the Niger state police command rolled out its Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), and positioned them at the entrance gate as Local Government Chairmen were being sworn-in.

The pensioners in their numbers had positioned themselves at the entrance into the Government House; venue for the swearing-in of the chairmen scheduled for 10 am.

But Daily Independent reports that the event could not start as planned because of the activities of the pensioners.

Carrying placards with different anti-government inscriptions, the pensioners, some carrying mats and pillows formed human blockage around the government house gate and prevented people, including the chairmen and their supporters from going in or coming out.

While mostly the female pensioners chanted and danced, ‘Lolo, pay us our money before you go,’ their male counterpart took positions at the entrance of the Government house gate and resisted people as they try to force their way in or out from the government facility,

Though not invited for the swearing-in, some journalists who were on hand during the combined lamentations and celebrations by the two groups had hectic time assessing government house as they maneuver their ways amidst the seeming helplessness of the police at the entrance gate.

Reports say that the intervention of the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago calmed the frayed nerves of the protesters from continuing their siege.

Unconfirmed sources said Bago had invited the leadership of the protesting pensioners to a dialogue and consequently dislodged them from continuing protest for payment of their pension and other retirement benefits.

Meanwhile, the anti-riot/APC of the Niger state police command was conspicuously positioned at the exit side of government house gate in apparent move to forestall possible breakdown of law and order as the chairmen were being sworn-in.

Though Governor Bello eventually performed the swearing-in, it was however reported that some chairmen and supporters missed out as they could not make it into the conference hall due to the grid-lock caused by the over an hour blockage by the pensioners.

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