Abia: Otti begins construction of model buildings in 17 LGAs

Governor Alex Otti has flagged off the construction of model court buildings across the 17 LGAs of Abia State.

Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony at the Umuene Magistrate Court, Isialangwa South LGA, Otti said that the modern court buildings would be replicated across the remaining 16 LGAS of the state, assuring that he will work with the judiciary and other stakeholders to build an ecosystem where justice is the order of the day.

Otti, who said that the project would be delivered on time, warned that he would not accept shortfalls from the designed work while maintaining that mechanisms have been put in place to monitor the work.

He charged the host community to ensure that the court halls and all the facilities to be provided are not vandalised.

Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Lilian Abai, said that the flagging off of the new court halls by the governor is unprecedented in the state judiciary, saying that it would enhance productivity among judicial officers.

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Also speaking, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, recalled the status of the court halls in the state and their neglect for decades and said that the project is a testament to the governor’s commitment to efficient justice delivery.

The Abia governor said that when completed, the court halls would have a lobby room for lawyers and a room for inmates from the correctional facilities with provision for judges or magistrates as well as legal assistants, natural light, ventilation, and solar energy, among others.

Newspot recalls that the chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, Aba branch, Charles Onuchukwu, had in September complained of dilapidated courtrooms in some magistrate courts in Abia, saying that the situation affected a smooth justice delivery system.