Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has berated the Nigeria Bar Association NBA for threatening to shut down the courts over the kidnap one of their members in Eneka a few months ago.
Wike said this during the special court service to commence the new legal year.
Governor Wike said the State Government will withdraw its support for the 2020 NBA conference in Port Harcourt over the behaviour of the NBA.
Wike also scored the State Judiciary low in judicial service delivery.
The Governor said he is not happy with the performance of the judiciary for concluding only about five thousand cases out of fourteen thousand cases filed during the legal year.
In his comment, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Adama Iyayi-Laminkara said the State Judiciary has embraced technology for effective judicial service delivery.
She said that filing and assigning of cases are now easier since the State judiciary adopted the use of technology.
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Rivers State Zacchaeus Adangor urged the judiciary to step up its efforts in judicial service delivery.
Zacchaeus Adangor also said the state has trained and re-trained judiciary staff for improved service delivery.
On his part, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, O.C.J.Okocha while speaking on behalf of the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria said judges are overburdened with cases.
He said that states that have more legal matters should have more judges than those with fewer cases.
Earlier, the Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, Sylvester Adaka commended the state government for its support to the judiciary.
He also called on the federal government to rehabilitate federal roads within Rivers State.
Sylvester Adaka said the bad roads are affecting businesses and investments in the state.
