Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he ensured the provision of a conducive environment for judicial officers despite losing an election appeal at the Court of Appeal.
Wike noted that although the Court of Appeal once nullified his election, he remained committed to supporting the judiciary and improving working conditions for judges.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Judges’ Quarters (Court of Appeal) and the flag-off of the construction of residences for the Industrial Court and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, an event attended by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
Wike also stressed that the Federal Government alone cannot execute all development projects, urging state governments to take greater responsibility in providing infrastructure for federal institutions within their jurisdictions.
According to him, “Federal government can’t do everything. I challenge states and governors: if there is a division in a state and the Federal High Court is there, who are they serving? They are serving that state.
“The Court of Appeal is there, who are they serving? It’s your state. The Industrial Court is there. When I was governor, we used to go to Bayelsa State for the Industrial Court, and 80 percent of the cases came from Rivers.
“So I said, why are we going to Bayelsa? I met the then President of the Industrial Court, and I told him the state was not willing, but I was willing. We provided designs and built it, and also provided accommodation. Today, our people no longer travel to Bayelsa for cases.
“Justice Bulkachuwa was President of the Court of Appeal when my election was nullified, so ordinarily I could have refused to do anything. But who would suffer? My people in the state would suffer.
“Look at the residences of the Justices. I didn’t wait for the Federal Government; if I had, it would have taken much longer. I challenge states not to leave everything to the Federal Government.”
