Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised to change the face of courtrooms and court premises across the state, saying judicial proceedings would no longer take place in an unconducive environment.
The governor gave this promise while speaking on Saturday during an inspection to Lagos High Court, Igbosere and Ikeja High Court, GRA, Ikeja, even as also promised a total transformation of courtrooms, buildings and other facilities for speedy dispensation of justice.
The governor, while giving the promise as part of his administration’s commitment to reform the judicial sector, said judicial officials, such as judges, lawyers and other workers in the judiciary would operate in an ambience suitable for the job they do.
Sanwo-Olu assures that as his administration continues to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Lagos State, it would ensure that the judicial arm was not left to suffer.
The governor said the state government would set up a joint committee between the judiciary and the executive to work toward putting in place a rebranded and renewed physical infrastructure in the judiciary in the months and years ahead.
“The whole objective of the exercise (inspection to the courts) is for all us to continue our collaboration between the executive and the judiciary, understanding fully well that we are all set up to serve our citizens. And the only way we can serve is to ensure that all of us have the right ambience and have the right environment for that service to continue to happen.
“Lagos State judiciary is reputed as the foremost judicial service in the country not only with the number of judges that we have but the calibre of our judges. Beyond that is also to look at both the physical infrastructure and welfare of our judges.
“As a government, we felt beyond just sitting down and talking about the separation of powers, we see ourselves as partners in the same delivery of service to our citizens either in the judiciary, executive or the legislature,” he said.
“We need to improve on their (judges) current state and make them a lot better so that our judges can sit back and dispense off their services under an ambience that is fit for purpose.
“We have seen things by ourselves and we are setting up a joint committee between the judiciary and executive and they would start work almost immediately. But we need to work around the logistics of how all of these will happen because there will be a bit of displacement and inconveniences. So, we want to plead ahead, when both plaintiffs and complainants come around the court premises, they need to understand that we are about to scale up our physical infrastructure in most of our courts.
“We will also be seeing a rebranded, renewed physical infrastructure in the judiciary in the week, month and years ahead,” he added.
According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, the purpose of the visit is to see for him to see what the state of the physical infrastructure of various courts in the state is like, saying that he sure the government could do better.
“What we have done in the past three hours is to see for ourselves what is the state of the physical infrastructure of our various courts and I must say that indeed, we can do better.
“Coming out of this inspection is to see how we can work collaboratively with the Lagos State judiciary service led by the Chief Judge and see how we can set up the means in which we will begin extensive renovation of some of our courtrooms, the infrastructure around the court premises, both at the high and magistrate courts,” the governor said.
The governor was accompanied on the visit by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Secretary to the Government (SSG), Mrs Folashade Jaji; Chief Justice of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba; Head of Service (HoS), Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola and Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), among others.
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