Litigants, lawyers lament delay of cases at Anambra court, demand judicial reform

By Praise Chinecherem

Litigants and their lawyers in Anambra State have raised the alarm over what they termed unnecessary delays in their cases at the Federal High Court Awka, calling for overhaul of the courts in the state.

They also decried the conduct of the workers in court room, accusing them of overstepping their bounds and engaging in unacceptable conducts not expected of Federal High Court workers.

Addressing newsmen in Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of the State, spokesman of the aggrieved litigants Onyebuchi Onyekwelu, alleged frequent transfer of Judges which affect speedy discharge of cases resulting to frustration and undue delay.

He urged the Hon. Chief Judge of the Federal High Courts and Chairman of Federal Judiciary Staff Commission to investigate such conducts and activities.

Onyekwelu particularly called for investigation of those who work in the court room under the Judges and frustrate cases for pecuniary and personal interest.

“We learnt that the reason for the frequent transfer of Judges of the Federal High Courts is to check corruption, but we must state that we have not seen or suspected any of the Judges of Federal High Court Awka, of corruption.

“The searchlight for corruption should rather be beamed on the court room staff working under the Judges of the Federal High Courts in Awka from the
highest ranking officer to the lowest.

“They have pushed litigants and lawyers to the wall. Since the lawyers can’t talk, we are talking because we are the ones spending our money and getting frustrated in the court rooms.

“We therefore, call on the Hon. Chief Judge of the Federal High Courts and Chairman of Federal Judiciary Staff Commission to act now to save litigants and their families from the heartless activities of those court room workers.

“Our cases must be discharged at the time appropriate as obtained in other places in Nigeria”

A lawyer who pleaded anonymity identified some of the frustrating activities of the workers to include hiding court copies of processes and affidavit of service, detaching exhibits from court copy and taking pending cases file to concluded cases file section.

“Others are destruction of documentary exhibits, hiding processes filed, case file, ruling and judgements cited to frustrate the Judge, and many more. These acts of sabotage happen from Magistrate to even Supreme Court.”