The Imo state governor Hope Uzodinma, on Thursday said that his ready to look into the plights of the judicial officers in the state.
The governor spoke in Owerri when he met with serving and retired judges, members of the Judicial Service Commission, Executives of Magistrate Association and Chairmen of Customary Courts.
To achieve this, Uzodinma said that he will take a look at the 2020 budget to find out whether their demands were captured in this year’s budget.
The governor said: “My administration will ensure the independence of the three arms of government, which is very important for the smooth running of the business of governance.
“The potency of any government is largely dependent on the cooperation of its judicial arm, and any serious government must strengthen its Judiciary to be able to maintain law and order.
“I call on the judicial workers to work harmoniously without any form of rancour among them so as to instill confidence in the minds of the people that the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.
On their requests, he said: “I want to look at the budget of 2020 to know to what extent provisions were made for all those things, whether they’re carried in the budget or not to know whether we can plead with the Speaker to send a supplementary request to ensure that these things are done and done very well in a manner that we don’t solve a problem and create another.”
Some of those demands from the judicial workers, as presented by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Paschal Nnadi, said: payment of severance packages to Judges, gratuity, pension to retired Judges, provision of vehicles to serving Judges and payment of allowances of Judges from May 2016 to April 2019.
He used the opportunity on behalf of the judicial officers in the state, to congratulate the governor, on his emergence as the authentic governor of Imo and said: “We thank you for making funds available for the furnishing of the Justice Oputa Court. It has enabled the High Court Judges to move to the new complex with the 14 court halls working in full capacity.”