Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has hailed the judicial arm of government in the state for upholding the rule of law and order, noting that he is in full support of the independence of the judiciary.
He said this at the opening ceremony of the 2019/2020 legal year in the state at Court One in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Obaseki, who expressed confidence in the judicial arm of government, stressed that without a strong judicial system, there will be no democracy, which informed his administration’s investment in the judiciary.
The governor called for synergy between the executive and judicial arms of government in driving reforms of the Magistrate Court system, adding that the Magistrate Court is the closest court for the common man to get justice.
On the independence of the judiciary, the governor said he believed strongly in the autonomy of the judiciary and sued for a better budgeting system in the judiciary to ensure that scarce resources are adequately utilised for prioritised needs.
Earlier, Edo State Chief Judge, Justice Esohe Ikponmwen, said 20,482 cases were disposed-off in the 2018/2019 legal year, while 15,469 cases were transferred to the new legal year.
She added that in the out-going legal year, the state judiciary generated N400, 334, 490, as revenue.