Delta Government on Tuesday unveiled the rebuilt High Court Complex in Asaba burnt down during the ENDSARS protests in 2020.
The State’s Chief Judge, Justice Marshall Umukoro, who unveiled the complex, announced that court processes would resume at the complex along Ibusa Road, on Monday.
Conducting journalists round the rebuilt court, Umukoro commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his commitment to speedy dispensation of justice.
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He said that the governor’s intervention was timely because after the destruction of the complex, dispensation of justice was delayed for some months.
“You will recall that on October 22, 2020, some hoodlums invaded the High Court Complex in Asaba and razed it down.
“We thank God for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who within 48 hours visited the court complex to see things for himself. He supported us morally and financially to rebuild this complex.
“The contract was awarded on November 20, 2020. We thank God that we are here today; this is true restoration as you can see for yourself.
“We are happy and we thank the governor for this milestone and we appreciate the media that gave us the full coverage.
“After the vandalism, we were constrained to relocate our four Judges to our buildings in Ibusa. But on the 15th of February, Courts 2, 3, 4 and 5 will relocate back here,” Umukoro stated.
The Chief Judge cautioned youths to refrain from destroying public buildings as monies spent in rebuilding the court complex could have been used to develop other infrastructure.
The Administrative Judge, Asaba Judicial Division, Justice Tessy Diai, thanked the State Government for the prompt response in rebuilding the complex.
“I am happy that we are seeing this new building now after it was razed down during the ENDSARS protests and I thank God that the governor came to our rescue,” she stated.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said that the destruction of the high court complex was one of the dark sides of the ENDSARS demonstration.
He said the Okowa’s administration was committed to speedy dispensation of justice, adding that the administration believed in some of the demands made by the ENDSARS protesters.
Meanwhile Justice Umukoro announced that mobile courts for non-compliance with COVID-19 protocols would commence sitting across the state on Wednesday.
Umukoro announced this in Asaba at the reopening of the rebuilt High Court Complex.
He called on the public to ensure strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocols to avoid prosecution.
“As from tomorrow, (Wednesday), the mobile court on COVID-19 will start sitting. So, the media should spread the news and let the people know that anybody not wearing face masks from tomorrow will be prosecuted,” he stated.
The chief judge urged youths in the state to live within the ambits of the law, adding that most youths who fell short of the law were products of broken homes.
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