Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, has identified adequate welfare, training and retraining of judicial officers as critical factors to the dispensation of justice in the state.
Governor Otu made the emphasis, Wednesday, when he received in audience the executives of the State chapter of Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) in his office in Calabar.
Pledging support for capacity building of judicial officers, which, he said was pivotal to effective justice delivery, the governor reassured the Magistrates Association of Nigeria in the State of his administration's continuous partnership and cooperation.
On the area of welfare, Governor Otu said, "Your work is very sensitive in the judiciary. Without you, government would not hold. I know the peculiarities of some of the issues bothering Magistrates in the State. Those issues would not be addressed in one day; but with continuous interaction, things would be sorted out."
He appealed to the Magistrates to make some level of sacrifice towards the attainment of desired goal, as his administration would set up a Committee to look into all matters of welfare, infrastructural interventions, as well as promotion of Magistrates, amongst others with the view to addressing all issues affecting the smooth operations of magistracy in the State.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the State chapter of Magistrates Association of Nigeria, His Worship, Godwin Onah, congratulated the governor on his overwhelming victory at the polls and the Appeal Court verdict re-affirming his election.
Onah, expressed optimism in Otu's ability to deliver, noting that the governor's transformational and people-oriented policies are already impacting positively on the people.
After giving an overview of magistracy as the law bench that carries out activities of the Judiciary at the grassroots level, the Association's Chairman said the essence of the visit was to draw the governor's attention to some teething issues bothering magistracy and the Association in the state.
Some of the mentioned included: welfare, revitalisation of infrastructure, capacity building for judicial officers, due process in promotions, and upward review of emoluments, among others. The Association also expressed belief that the present administration, led by a man of integrity, would give priority attention to all matters brought before it.
By Ebi Collins, The Beagle News
