The judiciary in Anambra State on Monday flayed Governor Willie Obiano for what it called neglect of the staff and infrastructure in the judiciary.

Although Obiano defended himself saying that he does not owe the judiciary staff, the staff accused him of neglecting the infrastructure in the high courts, especially the headquarters in Awka whose premises were full of potholes and broken internal road network.

But Obiano escaped being humiliated when he refused to attend the opening of the 2016/2017 legal year at the judiciary headquarters, Awka, as requested by Hon. Justice Peter Umeadi, the state Chief Judge.

During the Pontifical Mass celebrated by Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, and attended by Obiano and members of the bar and bench led by Justice Umeadi, he had urged Obiano to honour the session at the headquarters, a request Obiano turned down on the excuse that he had other state functions.

Before, Justice Umeadi read his address, Professor Ilochi Okafor (SAN), who was the most senior lawyer at the event was asked to speak for his colleagues, the Senior Advocates, and he described the headquarters as “a shame.”

Prof. Okafor said, “This premises is a shame, a big shame and does not speak well of the state.”

He flayed Mr. Anali Chudi, the Attorney General of the state, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly both of whom were present on the occasion for not speaking for the judiciary even though both are lawyers.

Okafor said it was a miracle that none of the lawyers and judges had a fall, as the ground was very wet. It had rained cats and dogs at dawn in Awka on Monday and the premises of the headquarters was slippery.

In his address, Justice Umeadi sympathised with judiciary workers for the deplorable condition of the courts in the state, saying, “It would seem that their sense of duty got accentuated even as their conditions of service and that of their workplace got more parlous.”

He added, “Their headquarters environment is highly degraded as in all other divisions and their places of work.”

Justice Umeadi lamented the simmering dispute between the government and the Judiciary Staff Union and constant strikes of JUSUN and dilapidated judiciary IT Research centres, lamenting that the judiciary lost out on assistance from donor agencies that would have assisted it to improve staff outlay for lack of fund.

He praised the amity between the bar and the bench in the state and working relationship between the judiciary and law enforcement agencies in the state.

Earlier during the Pontifical Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral, Bishop Ezeokafor urged judges to dispense justice irrespective of the constraints.

Describing faith as the bedrock of justice, Ezeokafor urged judges to avoid satisfying man in order to please God.

At the Mass too, Governor Obiano outlined measures he had taken to stem the hardship of the recession pointing out that apart from reduction of tax regime for low income earners, he was packaging the usual Christmas rice for workers in the state and that pensioners would earn their allowances before the Christmas festival. (Independent)

•Photo shows Governor Obiano.

Update news