Kebbi Employs 10 State Counsels To Beef Up Ministry Of Justice-Commissioner
From Ayodele Ajoge, Birnin-Kebbi
Kebbi State Ministry of Justice has said the State Government has employed the services of additional ten new state counsels into the civil service to boost the strength of Counsels to hasten dispensation of justice in courts for persons standing trials.
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Dr. Junaid Bello Marshall, made this known Monday at a ministerial press briefing organised by the the State Ministry of Information and Culture to inform the public on the achievements of the State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris within the eight months of his administration.
Dr. Marshall said that, prior to this development, only 27 Law Officers were in the employment of the State judiciary which was grossly inadequate and consequently, Governor Nasir Idris approved the recruitment of more Counsels into the system.
The Commissioner also informed that the Justice Ministry recorded 853 criminal cases, bail applications and legal advises in the last eight months, adding that the Ministry presently handles 80 appeal cases pending before the Kebbi State High Court as well as 70 cases at the Court of Appeal and same at the Supreme Court.
The Commissioner added that Governor Idris approved the refurbishing and provision of furniture in the Attorney General’s Chambers, supply of updated research materials for the ministry’s library, purchase of 40 new Ph Model Laptops for Law Officers, subscription of law pavilion and law companion application for law officers.
He pointed out that the Governor further approved sponsorship of ten lawyers into specially tailored programme for prosecutors resulting into Master in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the refurbishing of Attorney General’s Chambers at Argungu and Yauri as well as the upward review of wardrobe/outfit allowances for law officers from N13. 9 million to N70 million annually.
Speaking further, he said approval was given for sponsorship of law officers for the NIALS workshop on legal writing skills and research method, sponsorship of law officers for ICT training in Abuja, sponsorship of the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary to attend the 2023 NBA conference in Abuja.
Other gestures according to him was the payment of registration and tuition fees of the Kebbi State indigenes at the Law School, sponsorship of workshop on application of the Kebbi State administration of criminal justice in Kano, provision of accommodation for new law officers and settlement of outstanding judgment sum against Kebbi State Government through favourable terms amounting to N1 billion approved by the Governor.
Before the settlement, 33 accounts of Kebbi State domiciled in 11 financial institutions were frozen but were now unfrozen while withheld certificates of students have also been released.
The ministry further received approval for the purchase of Peugeot 406 station wagon, regular payment of quarterly witness expenses and appeal cases, connection of the ministry to solar inverter and internet facilities as well as the restructuring and creation of new units and establishment of justice sector reform team.
The Attorney General announced that the Justice Ministry was working tireless to draw up a bill for the creation of security outfit for Kebbi State under which special units would be designated to focus on different aspects of lives of the citizenry and control on sectoral basis, such as traffic regulations and illegal mining.
He also said his ministry prepared and presented 18 executive bills to the State House of Assembly which were ratified and subsequently assented to by the Executive Governor.
