The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom
Wike, on Monday declared that President Bola Tinubu does not make promises and
fail.
Wike made the claim while flagging off the Design and
Construction of Residences for the Heads of Courts (President Court of Appeal,
Federal High Court Chief Judge, Chief Judge of the FCT and President of the
Industrial Court) in Abuja.
The minister said the judges have been assigned the
buildings with Certificates of Occupancy, C of Os, stressing that the
apartments become their own when they retire.
He said: “And let me say to the Court of Appeal and FHC that
we are barely supporting you but its only the FCT that we are relating with as
the judges of FCT.
“That is why we are building for the Court of Appeal 10
duplexes that would be handed over by the end of the year, 20 for the FCT High
Court and just like the President of the Industrial Court saying, while he was
speaking, in those days like children when you don’t want somebody to all you
out you start some traditional things like let them not remember me.’
“Let me say it again to you, Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not make
promises and fail and as his agent, I want to assure you that we will have to
provide those houses for you our judges. So, don’t bother yourself to remind me
anywhere you see me, take it to the bank and you can cash from it.”
Noting that he has no history of abandoning projects, the
minister said “no one person will complete this project for us, we are going to
complete this project.”
He ordered the contractor handling the project to ensure its
completion within 12 months and hand it over to the judges, adding, “when you
are retiring, stay firm, it’s your house”.
The minister also commended the Attorney General of the
Federation, Fagbemi Lateef, for supporting the FCT Administration, noting that
the digitalization of the FCT High Court has been included in the 2025 budget.
“Attorney General, on behalf of the FCT we want to sincerely
thank you, the support we have gotten from you we cant quantify it. In fact, it
was through you that we have to think about digitalize the FCT court and that
has been included in the budget of 2025.
“I have just summoned the general council to make sure that
the project commences immediately so that we will be able to digitalize the
court,” he said.
Recalling how Tinubu tried to improve the welfare of the
judiciary when he was governor of Lagos State, Wike said: “Of course, we do not
expect anything less now that he is president.”
In his goodwill message, President of the National
Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, appreciated
Tinubu for approving the project, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice
Kudirat Kekere-Ekun for allowing it, and Wike for his dedicated management of
conceptualising the “project and is now seeing it to fruition”.
He said the flag-off ceremony is not just a significant and
commendable milestone, it is coming at no better time than now. “More so given
this Administration’s emphasis on improving judicial welfare and independence.
Providing safe, comfortable, and secure residences is crucial for the judiciary
to function effectively without fear or external influence.
“Like other public servants, judicial officers perform
better when their personal security and mental well-being are assured. This
housing initiative expectedly will address these concerns, and enable the
occupants to fully dedicate themselves to their judicial responsibilities. The
project will thus contribute to a more focused and efficient judiciary.
“The project goes beyond rhetoric and is a practical
demonstration of support for the judiciary, which reinforces public trust in
the justice system.”
On his part, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice
Hussein Baba Yusuf, who described the ongoing construction as a landmark
project, said it’s “an opportunity to acknowledge leadership that situates
justice at the heart of national development.”
He commended the Minister for his unprecedented
infrastructural development and bold interventions that have continued to
advance justice sector reform.
Baba Yusuf said: “Permit me to say with emphasis that the
issue of welfare of Justices and Judges has agitated the mind of the Hon.
Minister of the FCT. As a Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency ensured that
the welfare of Judges and judiciary staff was made a priority. He replicated
the same gesture to Federal Courts within Rivers State. Since his assumption of
office in the FCT as Hon. Minister, an onlooker who is not familiar with the
spade of development in the FCT would think that you only cater for the
judiciary.
“The truth however is that the many things you do for the
judiciary does not form any fraction of your developmental stride in the FCT. I
would not want to bore this audience with details of your interventions for the
judiciary. But the truth is that you have demonstrated capacity and
understanding of the job. You are simply the man for this assignment.”
The judge the prioritization of purpose-built residences for
heads of courts underscores a deep appreciation for the conditions under which
justice is conceived, deliberated, and delivered.
He said: “The initiative is therefore not merely
architectural; it is a strategic affirmation of the welfare, security, and
independence of judicial officers, elements essential to a Credible and
efficient judiciary. A supportive environment for the bench is inseparable from
an effective rule of law, and this project embodies the convergence of
infrastructural foresight with judicial reform.”
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