Serving and retired judges, members of the Judicial Service Commission, Executives of Magistrate Association and Chairmen of Customary Courts have converged on the Imo State government House in Owerri to plead with governor Hope Uzodinma to help address their financial stress brought about by neglect of their legitimate entitlements.
At a meeting with the governor today, February 26, the judicial officers complained that over times, they have not been paid their salary arrears, gratuities, severance and pensions.
Justice Nnadi, who spoke on behalf of the group, stressed the urgent need for the governor to redress the plights of judicial workers, which apart from payment of severance packages to Judges, gratuity, pension to retired Judges, also include provision of vehicles to serving Judges and payment of allowances of Judges from May 2016 to April 2019.
The judicial workers expressed appreciation to governor Uzodinma for making funds available for the furnishing of the Justice Oputa Court which has enabled the High Court Judges to move to the new complex with the 14 court halls working in full capacity.
Responding, Governor Uzodinma assured that his administrations would ensure independence of the three arms of government, stressing that the role of the judiciary in particular, cannot be over emphasized.
He said that the potency of any government is largely dependent on the cooperation of its judicial arm, saying that any serious government must strengthen its Judiciary to be able to maintain law and order.
The Governor promised to look at the budget of 2020 to know to what extent provisions were made for all those things they requested his government to address.
“I want to know whether they are carried in the budget or not to know whether we can plead with the Speaker to send a supplementary request to ensure that these things are done and done very well in a manner that we dont solve a problem and create another.”
