Gov. Obaseki Swears-in Daniel Okungbowa as Edo New Acting Chief Judge

…advocates sustainability of current judicial reforms

By Nosakhare Agbonigiarhuoyi

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has sworn-in Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa as the new Acting Chief Judge of Edo State.

The swearing-in ceremony, which took place on Friday, May 19, 2023, at the Edo State Government House, Benin City, also had in attendance, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, the former Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Joe Acha, other top government functionaries and officials of the state judiciary.

In his remarks, the Governor, highlighting the gains of his administration since its inception, said that the executive arm of the state has maintained a cordial relationship with the judiciary, which in turn, has paved the way for the sustenance of law and order and the rule of law in the state.

Obaseki said: “We have and will continue to invest in the judiciary and the judicial system by promoting a conducive work environment for all our judicial officers, utilizing more technology in our court rooms, and boosting the capacity and efficiency of our judges and judicial officers to deliver judgements and carry out other judicial functions”.

Obaseki promised to continually advance and support reforms in the judiciary and respect its independence, in order to ensure that it lives up to its mandate of upholding justice in Edo State. “There is much work required to get us to the judiciary of our dreams. To achieve this, we must insist on hiring judges and judicial officers mainly based on merit”, Obaseki said.

In his charge to the new Acting Chief Judge, the Governor said: “The new Acting Chief Judge has the responsibility to continue with and sustain the laudable reforms which were started by the outgoing Chief Judge, Justice Joe Acha, so as to deepen their impact on our judicial system”.

On his part, the newly sworn-in Acting Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, assured the Governor and the people of Edo State of abiding by his oath of office.

He said: “With the support of my learned brothers, I promise to work in harmony with other arms of governments, and with mutual respect for the doctrine of separation of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended, for the greater good of Edo state.

“We shall collectively strive to consolidate on the areas of success of our predecessors in office to take Edo State Judiciary to an enviable height, in the administration of justice, with particular emphasis on the use of information technology”.

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