18th Division of Court of Appeal inaugurated in Awka

A new Court of Appeal Division, the 18^th in the series has been inaugurated in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The milestone achievement is coming after 29 years of the state’s to provide easy and timely access to justice for people of Anambra and environs.

Inaugurating the new Appeal Court Complex at Court Road, Awka, Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra said it was consistent with his administration’s efforts to give the Judiciary a pride of place in the state and to bring justice closer to Ndi Anambra.

The Governor noted that the establishment of the court would reduce risks faced by lawyers and litigants, who had been to travel to and fro Enugu in search of justice.

According to him 70 per cent of the cases at the court in Enugu emanated from Anambra, stressing that the cases will now be transferred to Anambra State for easy dispensation of justice.

“The importance of this day can easily be seen in the imperatives of justice to a society that desires growth, freedom and democracy.

“Indeed, no progressive society can experience rapid growth without the stabilising presence of robust institutions of which the Judiciary is one.

“Therefore, as our beloved state expands to accommodate the growth in our democratic culture, in the economy and in social life generally, it becomes important that we establish the organs that will help to keep the society on its toes,’’ Gov. Obiano stressed.

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa earlier said the Nigerian Judiciary acknowledged the enormous need to bring justice closer to the people, hence the continued creation of more divisions to ensure faster justice delivery.

She commended the determination of Gov. Willie Obiano in making the project a reality.

Acting Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu maintained that the establishment of the court Anambra State would bring relief to teeming litigants in Anambra State and their counsels.

Anyachebelu noted that prior to this date, people travel to Enugu to have their appeals heard.

According to Anyachebelu, going by statistics the cases and the guiding principles of bringing Justice nearer to the people, I think Anambra state deserves a division of the court of Appeal.

“I am aware that the honourable president of the Court of Appeal has posted a panel of three distinguished `Nobel Lords of the Court of Appeal’ to kick-start the onerous judicial work in the Awka Division.”

“It is good for a start, but I know that based on volume of cases waiting for attention of the Awka division, two panels of five justices are needed to truly deal with the work of the Court of Appeal in Anambra State.”

By John Ndu