Human rights defender and president of One Love Foundation, Chief Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor has appealed to the Edo State Governor, Dr Godwin Obaseki to intervene and ensure that urgent intervention is carried out at the Federal High Court, Edo State, which has been closed due to impending ecological disaster.
According to Eholor, those who have cases to handle are being denied of justice simply because the courts cannot sit.
In a statement made available to Jungle-Journalist.Com, Eholor wrote “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 His Excellency the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki to urgenly intervene as His Excellency has always assured of making Edo State a Judicial hub.
While speaking further on social media, Eholor stressed
“The Federal High Court 1 and 2 in Benin have been closed. In a government with the likes of Barr Osarodion Ogie, who is the SSG, such things should not be happening. Justice delayed is justice denied. There are women who have been raped, There are cases of murder, of robbery and so many cases out there.
“If the courts are shut down for three months, how do these people get justice?
“As long as there is injustice, the likes of Ultimate Equals will continue to talk. I said the other day I was going to leave the social media space.
“So those who love to oppress the oppressed were very happy, but I didn’t go far. When I made my last video at Ekenwan Road, what the government did was to hire some Internet rats to begin casting aspersions against my person.
“I am calling on the NBA president – where are you, why are you silent that your court is closed?
“Governor Obaseki apparently does not understand the meaning of governance.
“This is what you get when you have a lot of money to buy the INEC and buy the security. You could not fix ordinary drainages. Let’s assume the drainages are so very difficult to fix, can’t you find a temporary place for them to be operating from, until the drainages are fixed?
“I am sure that some lawyers who worship Obaseki will still find issues with my talk, but I don’t seek anyone’s friendship while speaking the truth.
“Gov Obaseki, you have to fix the drainages and ensure that the courts 1 and 2 are opened before 72 hours. So that men and women can get justice. These men and women wanted justice and didn’t want to become outlaws, and that’s why they came to court. Now the courts are closed down.
“I plead with your conscience, Gov Godwin Obaseki. Barr Osarodion Ogie, you are the SSG. Talk to your principal please. Because justice delayed is justice denied.
“Remember, Godwin Obaseki, you will be remembered for two things after you leave office-what you did right and what you did wrong.”