Governor (See Clip here) Nyesom Wike of Rivers State expressed satisfaction with his administration's(See Clip here) steadfast assistance in enhancing the judiciary to fulfill its constitutional mandate in PORT HARCOURT.
At the 2022–23 (See Clip here) Legal Year opening ceremony held in Port Harcourt yesterday, (See Clips here)Wike declared that all of the promises his administration had made regarding the judiciary had been fulfilled in amazing ways that (See Clips here)went far beyond most people's expectations.
The state High(See Clips here) Court went over two years without a Chief Judge, leadership, or direction, the governor noted upon taking office in 2015. The governor then tried to bypass the due process and install a Chief Judge on the state. When this cunning plan was foiled, he created a fictitious crisis and shut down the state courts until he resigned from office.
"We understood that without functioning courts to uphold and defend the rule of law, the ensuing social and economic anarchy would destroy Rivers State. In addition to the crisis, we also inherited a judiciary that had been completely neglected, outdated courtrooms, and unpaid salary arrears.
"Reviving the judiciary and ensuring prompt justice administration was our first order of business. On our first day in office, we reopened the courts, reinstated judicial services, and appointed the state's first female Chief Judge.
He explained that during his administration's first year in office, a new Special Utility Vehicle was given to judges to use as their official cars. These cars have since been replaced since 2019. His administration also started renovating the existing courthouses and building new ones for the state High Court.
