His Excellency,
The Executive Governor of Edo State,
Mr Godwin Obaseki,
Government House,
Benin City,
Dear Sir,
APPEAL TO MOVE THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT TO SAFER RELOCATION
I hereby write you to appeal that the Federal High Court, Sapele Road, Benin City be relocated to a safer location by your government, to enable court proceedings resume in the state.
The Federal High Court is a superior court of record as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended with very wide jurisdiction and endowed with exclusive powers over certain subject matters which other courts cannot entertain, section 251 of the constitution explains the exclusive and special jurisdiction of this Court.
Over the years the Benin Division of the Federal High Court has been having serious flooding/ecological challenges which have rendered it unpassable and unacceptable to Honourable Judges, Lawyers, Staff and litigants, when it rains and even after some days. The cry of the leadership of the court and the Bar two years ago attracted the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Works which embarked on the construction of the access road to the court with side drains.
Unfortunately this intervention, laudable at it is did not do much. The building housing the court is now a death trap as it likely to collapse anytime soon. The team of experts recently deployed to the site by the Federal Ministry of Works upon the appeal of the Honourable Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, to carry out integrity test on the building which now suffers cracks revealed the deadly state of the building if not urgently evacuated. This report led to the directive for closure of the court by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
As earlier stated, the Federal High Court is a specialised court handling so many cases particularly drugs related matters, copy right violation, cyber offences, financial crimes etc. As we speak, there are many defendants in prison custody who cannot enjoy freedom or have their cases heard and determined.
The closure of this court has also greatly affected the practice of Lawyers and seriously whittled down litigation in Edo State. I therefore appeal to you, my deer Governor to urgenly intervene as you have always assured our people of making Edo State a Judicial hub.
History will indeed be kind to you, if my appeal is attended to, because, knowing who you are, I am sure you will give it great consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Chief Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor (Ultimate Equal),
Founder/Chairman,
One Love Foundation Nigeria.
See letter below:
