Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that the state set and continues to set new standards for the Remuneration and welfare of judges and introduction of far-reaching legal and judicial reforms.
Speaking at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference holding at Victoria Island, the governor further stated that the state consistently transforms its infrastructure bearing new courtrooms, renovating existing ones to create a more conducive environment for judges to operate and efficiently administer justice.
“I can boldly say that no state takes the funding of the judiciary as seriously as Lagos State and this is a legacy that has been sustained by successive administrations since 1999.”
Represented by the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Mr Sanwo-Olu described the NBA as one of the most respected and prestigious professional bodies in Nigeria and that the conference represents one of the biggest annual gatherings of lawyers anywhere in the world.
The conference, he said, is “An opportunity for practitioners to gather to rob minds on the most salient issues affecting the profession and to chart the way forward, not just for the profession, but also for the nation
“Lawyers are to be found in active service in every facet of Nigerian life! In our boardrooms, in our civil service, in government houses, in parliament, in activism, civil society, media, law enforcement, technological innovations and so on
“The work that you do as legal practitioners impact all of us and the quality of lives in countless ways. This means that you carry a great responsibility on your shoulders to continually be part of the critical mass that creates and sustains a better society; A just, peaceful and prosperous one for all.
“It goes beyond ensuring your own comfort and progress as professionals, you have an inescapable duty to be purveyors and arbiters of fairness and the dispensation of justice that is without manipulation or distortion
On the theme of the conference, “Bold Transitions”, the governor described it as one that resonates on several levels
“Not only is there a transition of leadership in the NBA but we are also approaching the Democratic Transitions in Nigeria, while the world grapples with the challenges of an Energy Transition as well as Technology enable transition in every sector., From education to financial services and even Governance
“I wish you all the best as you proceed from this opening ceremony into the plenary and breakout sessions featuring many of the brightest minds within and outside the legal profession”, the governor said.