The Nigerian Bar Association has urged the Abia State Government to prioritise the rehabilitation of deteriorating courtrooms and other judicial facilities as it prepares the state’s 2027 budget.
The Association’s position was presented during a citizens’ engagement in Umuahia organised by the state government to receive submissions on priorities for the proposed budget.
Representing the NBA at the engagement, Ikemefula Ijioma acknowledged infrastructural interventions already undertaken by the Abia State Government but said several judicial facilities still required urgent attention.
Particular concern was raised over leaking and deteriorating roofs in some court buildings, with reports that proceedings have occasionally had to be suspended when it rains.
The NBA argued that rehabilitating the affected facilities would create a more conducive environment for judges, lawyers, litigants, defendants and other users of the justice system.
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More importantly, adequate court infrastructure was linked to the efficient administration of justice.
Courtroom conditions are sometimes treated as merely logistical problems, but delays caused by unusable facilities ultimately affect case management, litigants’ costs, lawyers’ productivity and citizens’ access to justice.
Another legal practitioner at the engagement, Nduri Chibuike Eruba, also advocated increased support for the judiciary.
Responding to submissions from the NBA, civil-society groups, persons living with disabilities and community representatives, Abia State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning Kingsley Anosike said the consultation was intended to identify citizens’ priorities before the 2027 budget is finalised.
He indicated that the concerns raised would be considered subject to available resources.
The NBA’s intervention places judicial infrastructure firmly within the broader debate on judicial independence and justice-sector funding.
Modernising case management and introducing technology can improve efficiency, but those reforms cannot fully succeed without safe, functional and properly maintained court facilities.
Source: TheNigeriaLawyer | Abia Watch
