The Lagos State judiciary has been accused of wasteful expenditure as 75 judges of the state’s High court are said to have been scheduled to go for judges retreat in the United Kingdom.
Law & Society checks gathered that their Lordships will spend seven days in England, in the month of July , 2024.
Keynote speakers, and other support staff! are also billed to travel with the contingent.
A concerned citizen who chose to remain anonymous puts it thus way:
“Let’s figure out the unnecessary costs. Round trip tickets for about 90 people. Lagos, London, Lagos. Hotel accommodations, feeding, estacodes
“Why are the world standard facilities and resorts in Nigeria not utilized? Kuru, Jaji, Tinapa, Obudu, and many others‼
“Issues that affect Judiciary.
1) Igbosere High Court has not been rebuilt, Lagos State is soliciting for funds through rebuild Lagos initiative to rebuild the courts.
2) The various courts switch on power by 10am and off by 2pm when they are on generator, while working hours is between 8.00am to 4pm.”
Writing on corruption and wastage in governance in Nigeria, Tunde Ajaja in an article published by PUNCH Newspaper said: “”Apart from the perpetuated high cost of governance despite the cash crunch, brazen looting by people in government, politicians and civil servants inclusive, unremitted funds by MDAs and other forms of corruption continued to erode the country’s much-needed revenue…
“In January 2022, the EFCC revealed that it recovered N152bn and $386m stolen funds between January and December, 2021. And in 2022, the commission revealed that it recovered N134.3bn and $121m stolen funds and 3,615 convictions in the first 10 months of the year. In previous years, the commission made similar recoveries, a testament to the brazen corruption in the country.
“While the government on one hand continued to borrow from domestic and external sources, an individual, a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was arrested in 2022 for alleged N109bn fraud. The EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, disclosed that the commission had recovered a whopping N30bn from the erstwhile AGF.
“At the moment, many former and incumbent governors, National Assembly members and civil servants are either under investigation or are being prosecuted for stealing. Some have been convicted, while many escaped justice due to political affiliation, weak prosecution or lack of evidence, collusion with corrupt judicial officers and executive interference, in which case fraud cases are withdrawn by the Attorney General of the Federation.”
