•Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State
As magistrates in Ondo State are facing terrible condition of service, the Ondo State chapter of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN) has condemned the act of its members boarding public transport with criminals and litigants.
The association expressed fear in the failure of the state government to provide official vehicles for magistrates, saying it exposed the benchers to risk, reports Daily Independent.
According to the spokesman for the group, Chief Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, the act is capable of undermining the dignity of their office and the integrity of the judiciary.
The magistrates appealed to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to provide official vehicles for them with a view to enhancing effective justice delivery.
They made the statement during a courtesy visit to Senator Bode Olajumoke in Akure.
Led by their state Chairman, Magistrate Funmi Edwin, the magistrates lamented the non-provision of official vehicles to Magistrates by the state government.
Also, the chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure Branch, Mr Onimisi Friday Umar and his wife were in company of the magistrates.
The Publisher of Vanguard Media Limited, Mr Sam Amuka Pemu, joined Senator Olajumoke to receive the members of the association during the visit.
Spokesperson of the magistrates disclosed that no fewer than 60 Magistrates across the state do not have official vehicles, saying they scramble with litigants and criminals in public transport to perform their daily duties.
Sekoni noted that the dignity of the office of the magistrates and efficiency are undermined and their safety is compromised.
He disclosed that Magistrates sustain various degrees of injuries from commercial motorcycle crashes while going to perform their professional duties.
Sekoni said: ”We on a daily basis, hop on commercial vehicles, most times with criminals and litigants standing trails before us, with the attendant security risk to our individual lives
“It’s unacceptable the sight of magistrates commuting in commercial vehicles with criminals and litigants. The situation is unhealthy for the judiciary.
“Magistrates in the state are constrained to share public /transport with members of the public, including litigants appearing before them in court.
“Such situations are undignified and raised both security and professional concerns.”
Sekoni, therefore, stressed the urgent need for magistrates in the state to feel secured in the course of dispensing justice to the citizenry.
The association pleaded with Senator Olajumoke to help discuss their plight with Governor Aiyedatiwa.
They commended Senator Olajumoke for donating a relaxation centre for the NBA in Akure.
The Chairman of the NBA, Mr Umar, lamented that Magistrates in the state are not well treated by the state government.
He disclosed noted that the Magistrates were bought official vehicles last during the administration of the former Governor Olusegun Mimiko, adding that the beneficiaries have retired from the service.
Umar said:”It’s sad that Magistrates in the state board the same commercial vehicles with criminals when going to perform their duties in court.
”While other Magistrates in other states took flights to attend conferences and seminars, our Magistrates travel in commercial vehicles risking their lives.
”We don’t know what the judiciary has done to deserve this type of treatment in this state. We need a respite.”
Appealing to Governor Aiyedatiwa the NBA chairman said: “Providing official vehicles will greatly improve the efficiency, safety, and morale of the Magistrates. It will also ensure that they are treated with the respect befitting their office.”
Senator Olajumoke promised to look into their requests and also promised to have a discussion with the governor on their plights.
He, therefore, pleaded with them to shun any act that could tarnish the legal profession.
The Publisher of Vanguard, Mr Amuka Pemu, appreciated them for the visit, advising them to continue to uphold the rule of law and maintain integrity in the justice system.
