The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, announced that he had received a mandate from the president to build a new Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The minister made the comments on Monday at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 2023 All Nigeria Judges’ Conference of the Superior Courts of Record.
According to Wike, the move is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope initiative, which aims to guarantee that the judiciary functions in a way that promotes the impartial and fearless administration of justice.
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In light of this, Wike said that Tinubu has given the go-ahead to build homes for judges of the High Court and Magistrates Court in the nation’s capital city, as well as to establish a new Court of Appeal division for the Federal Capital Territory, which is expected to be completed in the next 15 months.
“At the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), we are dedicated to creating an atmosphere that aids the legal system in delivering justice to all people without fear or favour.
“We acknowledge the significance of having a sufficient and well-trained workforce in addition to the necessity of ongoing education to guarantee that our judges are up to date on the most recent jurisprudential advancements.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that work is being done to improve our court facilities’ infrastructure, as well as the welfare of the judges.
“With immediate effect, the President has ordered that a new Court of Appeal division be built in Abuja; the project has a 15-month completion deadline.
The President also gave orders to build homes for the magistrates and judges of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, as well as to provide new quarters for the judges of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in Abuja divisions, the speaker continued.
He praised the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for its dedication to giving judges across a forum to come together, share ideas, and have in-depth conversations on important legal matters.
“While it (the conference) continues to be one of the most anticipated events for Nigerian judges, it also offers them a forum to stay up to date on changing legal issues, exchange best practises, and collaboratively plan ways to improve the administration of justice in Nigeria,” Wike continued.
The conference is strategic and serves the dual purposes of stock-taking and visioning, as highlighted by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NJI and Chief Justice of Nigeria, in his keynote address.
