Bayelsa Govt, NBA Decry Closure of Federal High Court, Industrial Court

The Bayelsa Government and Lawyers in the state have decried the continued closure of Federal High Court and National Industrial Courts in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital for six months.

Two judges presiding over the courts are currently answering to allegations of corruption involving some judges.

The judges are Justice Terse Agbadu-Fishim of the National Industrial Court, Yenagoa Division, and Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa Division.

Reacting to the development, State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr Wodu Kemasuode said that the government was worried over the refusal to sit in court by the two judges for six months.

He explained that the development had taken a negative toll on the dispensation of justice in the state affecting litigants, lawyers and those awaiting trial.

Kemasuode averred that the state government had taken steps by appealing to the leadership of the judiciary at the federal level to ensure that the situation was remedied.

“I personally led a delegation of Yenagoa and Sagbama branches of Nigerian Bar Association to the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Chief Judge of Federal High Court and Chief Judge of National Industrial Court to draw their attention.

“In addition to the visits, we also wrote letters and we got assurances that the matter would be looked into, maybe we can take further steps by reminding them because six months is a long time,” Kemasuode said.

Also Chairman of Bayelsa chapter of Nigeria Bar Association Mr Eric Derie noted that the refusal to sit by the two courts had adversely affected lawyers in the state as their cases had suffered delays with associated pains on their clients.

Derie said that the judges were yet to be tried and urged the leadership of the courts to either re-instate them pending when the government was ready to try them or replace them.

“The non availability of the judges for a period of six months has delayed a lot of cases and those courts are indeed very busy courts ranking amongst the busiest courts in Nigeria.

“On the average they list about 20 cases daily and we do not want to see a situation where people will resort to self help,” Derie said.

He, however noted that the trend was unhealthy, particularly in the present democratic dispensation, against the backdrop of several persons seeking justice over cases of infringement on their rights in the state.