By: Valiant Samson Idowu-Alaba

ON Friday, February 4, 2022, the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and LASIEC led by Hon. Victor Akande were at our Council Secretariat to see for themselves the working conditions of the President and other Judicial staff of the Customary Court. Aside Hon. Akande, Hon. Jude Idimogu and other clerical staff of the Committee were part of the visiting House team.

Their visit was somewhat a rescheduled one. The information was that they were supposed to visit a day earlier but somehow couldn't make it. Upon their delayed visit, they were received by the Vice Chairman of the Council, Hon. Lucky Uduikhue who explained to the Committee that the Chairman was away in Abuja for a public function.

In company of the President of the Customary Court and her staff, the Vice Chairman led the visitors on a guided tour of the President's office and Court Room, which drew a rebuke from our Honourable visitors. Upon the Honourable Members' interrogations, they got to know that those rooms they saw that are empty and unpainted are the spaces provided for the President and her Court since the #EndSARS unfortunate incident when the main office complex, the building housing the Court and other block of offices within the premises of the Secretariat were not only looted and destroyed but also burnt down.

The Committee was right to register their displeasure at the working conditions of the judicial workers but I don't think they were right at the words they had for the Chairman of the Council, Hon. Fatai Ayoola. In their own view, they expected the Chairman to have completely rebuilt everything and also finished the new office complex.

Left for the Chairman, he would have wanted everything to be fixed by now but where are the funds? No considerate person, with the depleted resources of the LG coupled with no Federal or State financial support, will expect the Chairman to be building a new complex, rebuilding the old one and also reconstructing the judiciary building all at the same time when you have other numerous commitments.

At the temporary office of the President of the Customary Court, the judge said they understand the challenges the LG is facing and appreciate the concerns of the Chairman towards their welfare. She also let the lawmakers know that after the #EndSARS saga, they had no place to sit; they were just perambulating which prompted the Chairman to graciously approve some spaces in the new complex that is under construction.

She also made it known that the Chairman has it in his plans to rebuild the judiciary building, that was razed down by #EndSARS hoodlums, to a more befitting standard for present-day judicial workers. Hence, the foundation laying ceremony performed by Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu when he came to commission the rebuilt office complex last year February.

The problem out there is that people do not really appreciate the depth of the damage the #EndSARS incident wrought our Local Government. Perhaps, they thought after the disaster which claimed three buildings and almost 96 vehicles, the LG received help from the State and Federal Governments. It was the State Government that promised a N500m support fund and that was before the Governor's commissioning visit.

So far, the LG has only received just six vehicles and nothing else from the State. The FG through the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, when contacted for assistance, simply said they would get back to us. Only if they would do, tomorrow.

But as a government, we are undaunted no matter the challenges. It is in the Chairman's plans to start the reconstruction of the Judiciary building this year immediately after the commissioning of the new ultra-modern office complex that will be delivered within the next couple of months. Before that however, the offices in the new complex including those of the President of the Customary Court, the Court Room and other offices of judicial workers which they are making use of temporarily, will all be fully equipped since the Governor, who is expected to inaugurate the building, won't be coming to commission an empty block.

All these have been included in the Year 2022 Budget proposal that is being scrutinized by the House.

Idowu-Alaba is the Senior Special Assistant (Press) to Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola.