‘Misinformed lawyers stalling justice administration in Nigeria’

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has attacked some “misinformed” Nigerian lawyers whom he said were stalling the process of justice administration in the country.

“These misinformed lawyers politicise issues of justice administration and sometimes resort to legal battles without a clear understanding of the position of the law on such matters,” Mr Wike said on Friday why inaugurating a law chambers belong to Ledum Mitee, a lawyer and an environmental rights activist.

Mr Wike’s remark is contained in a statement from Government House, Port Harcourt.

Mr Wike, who did not mention any name in his remark, made a specific reference to a lawyer whom he said filed a suit challenging his administration’s ‘support’ for the judiciary.

“Just this morning the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice came to me and said that one lawyer in Port Harcourt went to court against the State Government. He said we have no business in building houses for judges, we have no business providing cars for judges.

“He said we have no business in building courts for federal institutions and that I have no right to even contribute to the structures in the Nigeria Law School.

“What will be our contribution to the administration of justice, when the structures are dilapidated? That lawyer is saying that what we are doing is not budgeted for. Everybody parades as if they know the law even when they don’t know the law,” the governor said.

Sokoto inferno

Mr Wike also talked about the controversy over his recent pledge to donate N500 million for the rebuilding of a Sokoto market that was razed by fire.

“People who are ignorant about the budget will just wake up in the morning and tell you the governor has no right to donate money somewhere. They make all kinds of allegations without having the true facts,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Wike commended Mr Mitee’s contributions to the law practice in Nigeria and said he deserves to be awarded the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

He said Mr Mitee, a former president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, sacrificed his law career for the Ogoni struggle which forced him into exile.

Mr Mitee said the chamber was going to serve as a ‘mentoring hub’ for junior lawyers and for legal advocacy.