Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Friday, listed numerous remarkable achievements his administration has made in the provision of modern facilities in the State Judiciary to facilitate the dispensation of justice both in the urban and rural areas.
Gov. Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration has provided modern courtrooms properly equipped to ensure conducive atmosphere for efficient dispensation of justice.
The governor added that his government has within the last six years created two additional Judicial divisions and six additional Magisterial districts to decongest courts for timely dispensation of justice.
He said the landmark projects are in addition to the building and equipping of 24 Magistrate Courts (16 of which are brand new) as well as the construction of 34 brand new model Customary Courts (two per local government) across the 17 local government areas of the state.
The 34 Customary Court buildings which were described by the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Enugu State, Hon. Justice George Chibueze Nnamani, as part of Gov. Ugwuanyi administration’s unprecedented infrastructural interventions in the State Judiciary as well as its urgent efforts at repositioning the Customary Courts to give them a new lease of life and relevance in line with international best practices for efficient and effective dispensation of justice in the rural areas and beyond, were inaugurated simultaneously across the 17 LGAs, on Friday.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Justice Chima Centus Nweze Moot Court, at the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), Gov. Ugwuanyi pointed out that “A central part of my commitment, as Governor, has not only been delivery of justice, but also, its speedy delivery to all classes of people without prejudice to socio-economic status or influence”.
The governor, who commended the Faculty of Law for the provision of the moot court, worthily named after Hon. Justice Chima Centus Nweze of the Supreme Court, and other facilities appropriate for students’ training, revealed that “there is therefore a resonance between the commissioning of a moot court scheduled today and the great strides my administration has made in the provision of modern courtrooms properly equipped to facilitate the dispensation of justice”.
He stated that the state government has in the past supported the growth and development of the faculty “and will continue to do so whenever opportunity avails the state”.
Gov. Ugwuanyi also commended the Dean, Faculty of Law, UNEC, Dr. Samuel Nwatu and his team for the push and drive to give the faculty a new face in order to restore its prime place as the first Faculty of Law in Nigeria.
“A moot court is essentially a student’s fictional court used by most faculties of law to expose their students to real court room situations through simulated court proceedings with students preparing and arguing cases before a pseudo or a make-believe judge. The presence of a moot court is always a clear and strong indication that students are being prepared for post-school professional practice”, he said.
Gov. Ugwuanyi therefore stressed the significance of naming the moot court after Hon. Justice Nweze who he described as “a renown jurist of our own time; an urbane, polished, elegant and cultured gentleman; an extremely cerebral and highly respected Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, an enigmatic jurisprudential personality of a character very much in short supply in our clime”.
Congratulating Hon. Justice Nweze on the well-deserved honour, the governor applauded the Faculty of Law, UNEC for the state-of-art-facility and for naming it as “The Justice Chima Centus Nweze Moot Court”.
He therefore charged the law students to take full advantage of the training facility in pursuit of their professional career.
Responding, Hon. Justice Nweze expressed gratitude to God for the honour done to him by the Faculty of Law, UNEC.
The jurist thanked the faculty administration including those who laid the foundation for the facility for making the event possible. He went further to thank Gov. Ugwuanyi for his role towards the success of the event.
In his address, the Dean, Faculty of Law, UNEC, Dr. Nwatu, on behalf of the staff and students of the faculty, appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi “for showing us unprecedented love and support despite the strenuous demands of governance facing you as the Executive Governor of Enugu State”.
Appreciating the governor’s peace and good governance initiatives, Dr. Nwatu said: “We are witnesses of your peaceful disposition to politics and state building, we have seen your massive deployment of resources in the fulfillment of your solid blueprint for the repositioning of Enugu state as a model state in terms of good governance; and now, we are beneficiaries of your generosity in supporting good causes for the betterment of our legendary Faculty of Law UNEC.
“Words are not be enough to convey our gratitude to you. However, following your example, we have rededicated ourselves to always work for the common good of our students, staff, Enugu State and the world at large”.
He noted that the faculty is elated that the inaugurated legal laboratory “is named after an illustrious alumnus – Hon. Justice Chima Centus Nweze”, adding: “For me Justice Nweze represents the triadic intersection of fecund intellectualism, adroit clairvoyance and urbane radiance.
“In his student days he participated effectively in mooting competitions and was part of the team that won the Philipp Jesuit competition, the trophy for which still adorns the Dean’s office till today.
“As a practitioner, he exhibited the uncanny ability to rummage law reports with ease and dissect legal rules and principles with admirable sagacity.
“As an academic the turgidity of his pen and his acuity of mind demolished many legal problems, demystified abstruse concepts and established new theories.
“As a judge, he has portrayed the archetypal image of a Hercules judge in Dworkinian terms. The Faculty could not have made a better choice.
“It is therefore my fervent belief that today’s event will inspire many students to aspire to greater heights knowing that someday they will also be celebrated”.
Also present at the event were the Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Afojulu Raymond Ozoemena, the Member representing Enugu North Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Dr. Ibenaku Onoh, representative of the Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Edith Nwosu, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Enugu, Prof. Malachy Okwueze, the Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Amb. Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu, and Honourable Judges of the State Judiciary, the Rector, Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, Prof. Austin Nweze, Rev. Fr. Dr. Emeka Ngwoke, among others.
