The Acting Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Daisy Okocha, has warned that she will not tolerate any act of corruption in the state judiciary.

Justice Okocha stated that it was unethical for corruption to be found in the judiciary, explaining that it was necessary to put into practice the talks on ethics and anti-corruption.

The acting chief judge spoke on Monday in Port Harcourt at the opening of a two-day workshop organised for judges and magistrates and other court employees by the Rivers State Judiciary in collaboration with the Nigerian Judicial Institute.

She said the event was important to the profession, adding that the state judiciary would have held the workshop earlier if it (state judiciary) was not closed for nearly a year.

Okocha explained that the workshop would help to keep the judges, magistrates and other judicial workers up to date in handling judicial matters.

“On my appointment as Acting Chief Judge of Rivers State, I pledged that there would be zero tolerance for corruption. The need to put into practice the talk on ethics and anti-corruption can therefore not be over-emphasised.

“Such workshops are in consonance with the provisions of the NJI’s Public Notice 1 of September 30, 2013; the National Judicial Policy, which seeks to maintain a high standard of adjudication and administration in the dispensation of justice in Nigeria.

“Among other issues, the aforesaid notice makes copious provisions bordering on judicial ethics, speedy administration and dispensation of justice, and the development of the capacities of judicial officers and court staff.

“The Judges and Magistrates will receive refresher training on four major areas, namely Judgment Writing and Performance Evaluation, Judicial Ethics, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Case Management, also secretaries, court registrars, process clerks, and bailiffs will be trained on Eethics and nnti-corruption.”

“Let me also say that the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission has set up a Performance Evaluation Committee for lower courts. With this in place, only candidates from the lower courts that are confirmed to be performing well in the assessment exercise will be recommended to the NJC for appointment to Superior Courts of Record.”

Also, the Head of Studies, Nigerian Judicial Institute, Dr. C. Aja, said the plan to hold the workshop in Rivers State this year was the initiative of Justice Okocha.

Aja admonished the participants to take the workshop seriously, even as he described Rivers State Judiciary as ‘strategic’ to the Nigerian economy.

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