Besides, he charged
the Association to particularly play a collaborative role with government to
ensure that criminals arrested were brought to justice speedily.
Dr. Uduaghan who gave
the charge in Asaba on Thursday, while declaring open the National Executive Council
meeting of the (NBA), enjoined them to urgently redefine and reform the system
because it was long overdue.
The Governor recalled
the security challenges that the nation was currently grappling with and the
sudden rise in crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, militancy and
terrorism, and enjoined the NBA to come up with blueprint for transforming the
criminal justice system.
His words “I urge the
Association to expedite action on the result of the conference held on Reform
of Criminal Justice in Nigeria because this reform is long overdue. So urgently
redefine and reform the judicial justice system”.
Dr. Uduaghan stressed
the importance of the review noting that the onus to act was on the Association
as the NBA was seen by Government at all levels as an agent of change and mouth
piece of civil reform in the society.
He enjoined the Association
to re-strategize and refine present ways of administering the body and promote
and sustain the ethics of the legal profession so that standards were not
lowered.
The Governor who also
harped on the need for discipline said: “Discipline has to be maintained so
that the legal profession can continue to effectively play the role of ensuring
the observance of the rule of law, upholding the rights of citizens and social
engineering, sensitize members of your profession to uphold the time honoured
ethical standards and discipline at all times”.
He promised to
support the activities of the Association both at the national and local
branches but urged the body to work tirelessly to
build a virile relevant Bar.
In his address, the President
of the Nigeria Bar Association, Barrister Okey Wali (SAN) called for increased
funding of the judiciary.
Barrister Wali
regretted that while budgetary appropriations of other arms of government were
on the increase that of the judiciary was declining.
He recalled that in
2009, budgetary allocation to judiciary was N78 billion while in 2010 and 2011
it was N91 billion and N95 billion respectively but regretted that allocation
dropped to N75 billion and N67 billion in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
The NBA President
said it was wrong to reduce the budgetary allocation of the judiciary if the
nation wanted a modern judicial system.
Wali pointed out that
a modern judicial system was instrumental for an orderly society and enjoined
the Federal Government to comply with the constitutional provisions of S.81 (3)
S.121 (3) and S.162 (9) and ensure the independence of the judiciary.
He commended the Governor
Uduaghan for what he called “the aggressive revolutionary transformation of the
state capital Asaba” which he noted was a remarkable departure from what the
State capital looked like in the past.
Barrister Wali, also,
commended the Governor for his quick response to the flood disaster in the state
as well as for the cordial relationship between the bar and the state
government.
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