The Ogun State Ministry of Justice says it will construct zonal offices for Citizens’ Rights Department in Sagamu and Ota respectively while a building for Committee, Rehabilitation and Correctional Administration of Criminal justice monitor centre is to be cited in Abeokuta in 2019.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olumide Ayeni disclosed this at the on-going budget Defence before members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, led by Hon Victor Fasanya in Abeokuta. He explained that the Ministry was ready to make administration of justice in the State a reference point in the country.
Ayeni said the Ministry in the next fiscal year planned to spend N1.18bn, just as it is set to reprint the revised laws of the State to enhance public accessibility to justice with minimal cost, while strengthening and improving on available legal and judicial infrastructure.
Giving the breakdown of the budget, the Commissioner said N530m was earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N650m was meant for capital projects with a revenue target of N65m.
In another development, the State Government said efforts are in top gear to appoint new five High Court Judges for the State High Courts and Magistrate respectively to aid the dispensation of justice in the State.
The Registrar of the State Judiciary, Mrs Funmilayo Stanley said this while taking her turn to defend the 2019 budget proposal of the State Judiciary before members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan.
She noted that the present administration recognized the critical role the judiciary played in justice administration in the State, hence the recent innovations in the sector to enhance quick and effective dispensation of justice through the various levels of courts in the State.
Stanley noted that the judiciary remained committed to ensuring easy access to justice by the populace through disposition of at least 85 percent of cases filed, adding that construction, renovation of court rooms, Chambers and residential quarters in the ten judicial divisions would be carried out in the next fiscal year.
To achieve the above, a total budget size of N3.55bn was proposed with N1.850bn set aside for capital projects, with the remaining N1.7bn meant for recurrent expenditure and N250m was the expected revenue for the period.
Packaged by Hazeez Ayansola
