For the third time in the 31-year-old Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, courts in the state have come under dire straits as a result of lawyers embarking on an indefinite boycott over cumbrous process in filing matters in the courts.
During the era of Col. Yakubu Bako (retd), the then military administrator and Obong Victor Attah, the second democratically elected governor of the state, Nigerian Bar Association called out its members on an indefinite boycott of courts over some irreconciliable differences.
This time, the lawyers from the four branches of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) started the boycott of the 26 High Courts, 37 Magistrates Courts and many Customary Courts in the state from Thursday, December 13.
Apart from staffers seen in the courts, lawyers are not seen while judges stay in their offices to handle official matters.
Martin Effiong, a provost of Uyo Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said “the problem is caused by the cumbrous system of the payment in filing suit in the courts by lawyers. The lawyers are facing untold hardship in the process of filing suits.
”We are not opposed to Treasury Single Account (TSA), but it should be handled in such a way that people do not suffer. If a client has a case in Itu, he has to go there to get clearance for payment. Thereafter, he has to return to Uyo to pay in the bank that using TSA for collection.
“You hear stories that there is no network, and you cannot file the matter. Even after payment, you still go back to Itu to file the matter. So, you spend N2,000 transport fare to pay N200 on a matter before you file your process in a court. Sometimes, there may be no network. So the client is deprived of justice he wants to get in the court because some matters are time-bound. The lawyer has to suffer to file.
“We had met with the State chief Judge, Accountant-General, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Head of the Civil Service on the matter. Nobody listened to us. We want to banks to redeploy their staffers to the courts as it is done in Rivers State.”
Collaborating the story, Ekanem Ekanem, a one-time NBA Chairman of Uyo branch affirmed that the matter has to do with the procedure of payment in filing a case in the law court. Before now, the registar had to assess the matter and referred the lawyer of client to the cashier for payment.
“Since the advent of Udom Emmanuel administration, the government directed that all payments be made through the banks. Matters about law courts are time-bound. You go now, and would be told that there is no network. At times, the queue is lengthy. We complained about this and government promised to provide POS in courts. This was done, but at times the POS did not work. The cashier will tell you that the money approved for the gadget has been exhausted. It is cumbersome.
He cited an incident of “a man from Ono in Ibiono Ibom local government area who was assessed N100 to file his case in the customary not magistrate court. The closest bank to Ono which is in Northern part of Ibiono Ibom is Ikot Ekpene. He went to a bank in Ikot Ekpene and was told that there was no network. He left for Uyo and was told that the banks had been closed for that day. He left again for Ikot Ekpene and was told there was no network.
“Finally, he paid the money and went to Oko Ita, the headquarters of Ibiono Ibom. When he reached there, the registrar told the man that he should have photocopied the receipt. He returned from Ono to Oko Ita where his motor cycle was involved in an accident. His leg was damaged and had to be amputated. Can you imagine the hurdle the man passed through just to pay N100?”
Ime Umanah, a High Court Judge in Uyo said though the issue has to do with NBA and lawyers it has affected sittings of courts.
Earlier in a press release dated December 13 and addressed to the Chief Judge, Akwa Ibom State Judiciary Headquarters, Uyo, NBA Uyo Branch, had stated “PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that lawyers, under the auspices of the four (4) Braches of the Nigerian Bar Association in Akwa Ibom State, HAVE BOYCOTTED ALL COURTS INDEFINETELY, in protest against the insensitivity of Government in the filing process, which has worked untold hardship on the citizens of the state, in their quest for justice, and occasioned frustration to legal Pratitioners, over the years.”
The release entitled “NOTICE OF BOYCOTT OF COURTS” and signed by Eno-onbong Akpan,Chairman of Uyo Branch, concluded “By this notice, you are respectefully enjoined t appreciate the situation at hand, and act as appropriate in the circumstance.”
However, Straightnews reporter called Uwemedimo Nwoko, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, yet he did not pick the calls to respond to the accusation by NBA.
