Lagos governor gives 51 SUVs, 8 houses to judges

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday presented 51 Sports Utility Vehicles and eight houses to judges in the state.

During the official presentation of the vehicles at Ikeja High Court, Mr Sanwo-Olu said the donation is to support the state judiciary and ensure it carries out its functions.

The governor added that as part of his vision to build a strong judiciary in the state, the judiciary will continue to have the support of the state government.

“In handing over these 51 vehicles to our judges and eight houses to the newly appointed judges of the state high court, we are ensuring that our judiciary has all it takes to seamlessly perform its duties as the bastion of the common man.

“We cherish the work you do; we thank you for justifying the confidence reposed in you; we appreciate you for being independent umpires even when the stakes are high.

“The judiciary is the bedrock of our society, and our judges need all the support they can get to effectively perform their duties,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

He said no arm of government will be deprived requisite tools to perform its statutory duties.

Not the first time

Mr Sanwo-Olu also in October 2019, presented 50 cars to magistrates in the state.

Reinforcing the commitment of his administration to create a conducive ambiance for the judicial staff, the governor said the state government will continue to provide the training and infrastructure required to ensure the integrity of the judiciary is maintained.

He charged the judges to reciprocate the gesture of the state government “by deepening the rule of law and hasten justice administration in the state without compromising its independence.”

“In maintaining your independence, our judges must not forget that their contribution is pertinent to the achievement of our administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda,” he said.

Meanwhile, members of the state judiciary lauded the governor for his gesture.

The chief judge of Lagos, Kazeem Alogba, said the generosity of the Sanwo-Olu-led executive was “unprecedented”.

“It is the first time a governor will be giving out vehicles to judges and accompanying the gesture with gift of houses.

“It takes a man with a large heart to be committed to satisfying the needs of an arm of government he is not leading,” he said.