Enugu govt to spend N62m on judges’ vacation, medical expenses

THE Enugu State Government has approved N62 million as vacation and medical expenses for 24 High Court judges in 2017.

The government also approved a bill for the establishment of Enugu State Debt Management Office (DMO).

The Commissioner for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, made these public on Saturday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting which held on Friday.

Udeuhele, who was in company with his Ministry of Justice counterpart, Mr Mellitus Eze, said that the judges’ vacation would start on Aug 1.

Eze said that the judges were expected to be out of work for six weeks during which they would visit other jurisdictions in and outside the country.

He said that the gesture by the state government was the norm, adding that the approved sum would assist the judges defray the expenses they would incur, including medical check-up.

Eze, who is also the Attorney General, said that the judges would return to their duty posts better equipped as they would have garnered additional knowledge studying cases in other climes.

He said that a provision would be made for a vacation judge who would take charge of all matters that would arise during the vacation.

On the DMO, Eze said that when established, the office would provide data for all bonds and securities owned by the state.

He said that the office would also raise the alarm when the state government attempts to exceed its borrowing limits.

The attorney general said that without such machinery, it would be difficult to ascertain if the state government was credit worthy.

Eze said that the bill would soon be forwarded to the state assembly for legislative action.