By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Gombe State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is seeking Governors Inuwa Yahaya’s urgent intervention to fix the poor working conditions of judicial officers in the State.
Though the Association commended the State Government’s efforts in structural development of the sector, it said the welfare of Judicial officers in Gombe State requires a lot of fixing to enable them perform optimally.
In a Communiqué the Association issued at the end of its recent meeting in Gombe, it decried the absence of some basic working incentives such as limited Equipment,
near absence of professional development, poor workload management and serious housing deficit for judicial officers and judges in magistrate courts and Upper Area Courts.
The Communiqué was signed by the Branch’s Chairman, Benjamin Sati Esq. and it’s Legal Adviser, Abubakar Bafeto Esq.
Though the lawyers commended the State Government’s commitment towards enhancing the sector through the completion of the Shariah Court of Appeal Complex and the construction of a state-of-the-art High Court Complex, it said there is great need to also focus attention on the welfare of the officers.
The Association is therefore calling on the Inuwa led administration to address these welfare concerns as it is vital for the integrity and efficiency of the State’s justice system.
It particularly called on the State Government to include
judges and magistrates in the Government’s housing plans,
provide new official vehicles for judicial officers every five years to ensure efficient transportation and increase funding and resources for the judiciary to enhance infrastructure and technology.
The NBA also called on the Government to establish programmes to support health and well-being of judicial officers, invest in ongoing training for judicial officers to enhance their skills as well as appoint additional Judges, Qadis and Magistrates to manage caseloads effectively.
Part of the Communiqué reads: “We hope that Your Excellency will consider our appeal in the spirit of mutual respect and commitment to the betterment of Gombe State”.
Also during the meeting, the NBA expressed concerns over the Governor’s recently declared executive order number seven (7).
The NBA said the purported revocation of ALL Allocations in BAG 4, has generated confusion regarding its legality and rationale.
The NBA therefore, in exercise of its constitutional mandate, convened to scrutinize the matter in its meeting of 26th September, 2024 and called for “the immediate reversal of this declaration as it contravenes the Land Use Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and judicial authorities”.
The NBA also called on the Governor to “suspend the documentation processes related to the revocation to prevent unnecessary litigation, ensure all land revocations adhere to established legal frameworks, safeguarding the rights of landholders and create independent bodies to investigate any allegations of non-development of allocated land and if found wanting, can be revoked individually”.
It also wants Government to “Implement policies for clear communication regarding land ownership and revocation processes”, stressing that “We are united in defending the rights of landholders and promoting justice in land Governance. Addressing these issue is essential for fostering a fair and equitable society”, the NBA pointed out.
