Endiong John, Uyo

Thursday, the Court of Appeal ended it's outdoor sitting in Akwa Ibom State. The sitting which began on Monday, 20th January, 2019 lasted for almost two weeks with the four justices of the Court of Appeal, Calabar as well as 62 support staff relocating to Akwa Ibom State.

The outdoor sitting was necessitated by the need for special concentration on Court of Appeal cases of Akwa Ibom State extraction. It's on record that cases of Akwa Ibom State extraction account for seventy percent of the cases in the Court of Appeal, Calabar division.


The culture of the outdoor sitting of the Court of Appeal, Calabar dates back to 2003 and it was designed to alleviate the burden of Court of Appeal litigants of Akwa Ibom state extraction, especially in the face of poor road network between Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State. The Akwa Ibom State government under Deacon Udom Emmanuel has had to utilize the culture of outdoor sitting of the court of appeal by making it more regularly in order to help thousands of litigants who suffer the pains of plying bad roads and other challenges that breeds excruciating agony in the course of litigation and pursuit of justice. The government ensured the court sat in 2019 as well as 2020. The session which was supposed to last for all of three weeks was was shortened to two weeks due to the valedictory session that begins this week in honour of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu who is retiring later in February.

During their two weeks stay, their lordships heard cases numbering more than hundred. Lawyers who spoke to this reporter expressed delight in the convention that saved them a lot of resources and energy. They also spoke on the predicament of heading to Cross River State for cases and advocated for the creation of a Court of Appeal in Uyo.

When the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice for Akwa Ibom State was contacted on the possibility of the creation of the Court of Appeal in Akwa Ibom State, the Chief Law officer expressed optimism, adding that the Akwa Ibom state government was ready to provide the needed infrastructure for the take off of a Court of Appeal in the State. Speaking further, Barr. Nwoko affirmed that the agenda of establishing a Court of Appeal in Akwa Ibom state was part of the reason the state government was sponsoring regular outdoor sitting of the Court of Appeal in Uyo.
"It is to the credit of the present administration that they came last year and they are able to come again this year. It's also to the credit of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel who has provided the enabling environment. The State government provides the infrastructure, the accommodation and all the basic logistics for the Court of Appeal to function during outdoor services".

When asked of the significant importance as well as the impact of the Court of Appeal's outdoor sitting in Akwa Ibom state, Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko said that it was important because during outdoor sittings, cases could be abridged so that as many cases as possible could be heard. "It's an investment that is worth it because it helps to galvanize the justice delivery system in the state being that when they come like this, they shorten the time within which parties take certain processes so that they can take as many cases as possible. For some of them, they can deliver judgments. Some will be taken back to Calabar where they will communicate the date for judgments. It goes a very long way to bringing Justice closer to the door step of Akwa Ibom people", he said.