Judiciary facing funding challenges, says Adejumo

FUNDING challenges at both federal and state levels remain the major problem hampering the judiciary in Nigeria, President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Justice Babatunde Adejumo, has said.

Speaking in Bauchi yesterday during the commissioning and inauguration of the state’s chapter of NICN, Adejumo noted that despite the achievements of the court so far, “there are still some challenges, especially in the area of funding. In fact the federal and state judiciary faces this challenge.”

According to him, the other challenge that confronted his court was the controversy over the exact status, scope and nature of its jurisdiction. However, he said the court was in the process of kick-starting its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre, which has been established pursuant to section 254C (3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Once the centre becomes operational, he said, it would add impetus to the efforts towards ensuring that employment, labour, industrial relations and workplace-related disputes are resolved quickly and without hurting existing working relationships.

“Our efforts in this respect align with the vision of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who has commendably identified that ADR processes, as panacea to the problem of over-filled dockets and unnecessary delay in the administration of justice, cannot be overemphasised,” he noted.

Adejumo said he strongly believes that the inauguration of the Bauchi division of the court would set off a spiral effect that would economically and socially benefit not only the Bauchi State Government but as well all stakeholders. “I wish to particularly solicit the cooperation of members of Bauchi branch of the Nigerian Bar Association,” he added.

“This hand of fellowship is by that reason extended to all lawyers across the state and beyond.” He further hoped that the formal opening of the division would trigger a chain of industrial activities to the benefit of the state, while the main vision of NICN is to bring justice delivery to the doorsteps of the people at minimal cost, inconvenience and delay.