By Ola Kay
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, to supporting justice reforms within the Territory.
He made his position clear in a goodwill message at the formal commencement of the 2025/2026 Legal Year of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday,.
In his address, the Minister described justice delivery as ‘a sacred duty’, and that a strong, independent and efficient judiciary was indispensable to the peace and stability of the FCT and to the nation as a whole.
Barr Wike informed that within 12 months his administration had initiated and executed several projects aimed at providing a more conducive environment for judicial officers and ultimately for the administration of justice.
Foremost among the projects were the commencement of residential quarters for Heads of Courts, the expansion of the Jabi Magistrate Court Complex, the construction of staff quarters for the Nigerian Law School and the design and construction of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division.
The Honourable Minister also pointed out that his administration’s provision of infrastructure for judicial officers was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said ‘providing comfortable and secure accommodation allows judges to focus entirely on the timely and efficient administration of justice, free from the distractions of inadequate living conditions’.
Barr Wike expressed hope that within the 2025/2026 Legal Year, his administration will ‘aggressively push for the timely completion of the new residential quarters for Heads of Courts and the Jabi Magistrate Court Complex to ensure prompt utilization…construct additional residential houses for FCT High Court Judges to mitigate housing shortages and ensure all judicial officers are appropriately accommodated. We will continue to collaborate with the various FCT-based judiciary…to support the digitization of court proceedings and registries to improve efficiency, reduce manual processes, and accelerate the dispensation of justice.’
Also speaking, President of the Appeal Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem commended the Honourable Minister for his support of the judiciary both while as Governor at Rivers State, and currently as FCT Minister.
She particularly appreciated the construction of safe and secure owner-occupier residences for judicial officers, saying ‘there is nothing as important as having a roof over your head at any stage in life’.
Justice Dongban-Mensem further suggested that housing for judicial officers should be extended to all categories of judges, and not just Heads of Courts. She recounted how a retired judge in Delta State was recently murdered as an illustration of how important it was for judges to be located within safe environments duriÒng and after the period of their service to the nation.
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