‘Why we are building federal courts in Rivers’ – Wyke

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has explained that his administration was investing in federal judiciary infrastructure because the Federal Government has abandoned its responsibilities to the Rivers people. The governor, a few months ago came out at night to stop the attempt by the secret police to search the home of a federal judge and to arrest him.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the National Association of Rivers State Students from the Nigerian Law School at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said that his administration was compelled to make necessary investments in courts under the Federal Government because they were left to rot. Wike was a federal minister and defended the Federal Government heavily against accusations of neglect of Rivers State.
Governor Wike said: “After Lagos State, the next state with the highest number of litigations is Rivers State. Yet the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was dilapidated, the National Industrial Court was nonexistent and the Court of Appeal has been in a sorry state.
“To ensure that our people have access to justice, we resolved to construct a new Federal High Court complex with six modern courtrooms and state-of-the-art facilities. That complex will be commissioned in May.”
According to him, “We have proposed the demolition of the existing old Federal High Court so that we can build a new complex with more courtrooms “.
The governor added that his administration was constructing the National Industrial Court complex in Port Harcourt, as part of measures to ensure that litigants no longer travel to Yenagoa for their cases. Some Labour leaders, however, said it was the Federal Government under the previous administration that built the Port Harcourt Industrial Court in Yenagoa instead of in Rivers State. Others, however, said it was right for the governor to help build a new one in Port Harcourt.

According to Wike, the Court of Appeal building in Port Harcourt was undergoing total rehabilitation to ensure that it accommodates more litigants. He assured that his administration would continue to deliver on quality projects, good governance and enhance the standard of living of the people.
Governor Wike noted that his administration would also promote the welfare of students in the state.
Earlier, Publicity Secretary of the association, Akubueze Okocha, commended Governor Wike for his outstanding achievements in the development of infrastructure in the law sector. She urged the governor to maintain the tempo of project delivery across the state.
Governor Wike later took the students on a tour of projects within the Government House, Port Harcourt, where he explained the status of the projects.