CJ makes case for multi-purpose Court Hall in Calaba
From Edem Archibong, in Calabar
The Chief Judge of Cross River State, Hon. Justice Akon Bassey Ikpembe has made a passionate appeal to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu to consider an urgent need of providing a Multi-purpose Court Hall for the state Judiciary to be used during the annual legal year Celebrations.
This, the CJ said, will help decongest the present High Court 1 room which is meant for only 15 Judges not the present 32 Judges as it is known presently.
She further explained that the heavy rain fall which usually affect the traditional legal procession of the 2026/2027 legal year activities could have been avoided, and that the present use of tent as Court room would have been equally avoided.
This calls were made in Calabar during the opening of 2026/2027 legal year thanks giving service held at the Apostolic Church Headquarters, which was attended by all the three arms of Government in the state, the Service Chiefs, all Para-military and non Para-military Commanders grace the event.
Giving an account of her stewardship for the past one year, Justice Ikpeme relied solely on the state Auditor General report for 2025 which credited the probate section of the judiciary for generating a total of#98, 279,702.70 representing 31.04% increase, the Magistrate Court at More Road generated #10,612,900 representing 90.06% surplus while the whole judiciary generated #152,668,171.12 representing 27.2% above the expected revenue for the year.
The Chief Judge also used the opportunity to inform the Governor that she had made formal inauguration of the Multi-Door Court House with the Chief Judge as Chairman while the Attorney general stand as Alternate Chairman.
She further explained that the inauguration of Multi-door Court House stand as indicative of commitment to stregthenting Alternative Dispute Resolution as a viable mechanism for justice delivery.
She also used the opportunity to extol the Governor for the renovation of the Multi-door Court House in response to the last year request she made passionately and also reminded the Governor Otu that the completed Multi-door Court House is still without any furniture yet.
End.
