A legal practitioner, Nkem Okoro, Esq., has raised concerns over what he described as the deteriorating condition and poor maintenance of the main High Court complex in Umuahia, Abia State, calling on the court’s administrative staff, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other relevant stakeholders to urgently restore cleanliness and decency to the judicial premises.
In a statement titled “The Urgent Need to Redeem the Glory of the Temple of Justice in Umuahia,” Okoro lamented the condition of the courthouse, describing its environment as extremely dirty and its infrastructure as dilapidated.
According to him, the state of the building, which is visited daily by lawyers, litigants and other court users, raises serious concerns about the maintenance of a facility meant to symbolise justice and the rule of law.
“To say that the main complex of the High Court of Umuahia, Abia State, is extremely dirty is an understatement,” he stated.
Okoro criticised what he described as the poor quality of construction work carried out at the complex, alleging that several parts of the building had deteriorated.
He particularly identified damaged glass entrance doors, collapsing ceilings and dilapidated courtroom furniture as some of the problems affecting the facility.
“The very poor quality of work in the complex, by whoever the contractors were, is a story for another. Nearly the entire glass frames on the entrance doors have fallen off! The ceilings are collapsing! The furniture in the courtrooms is totally dilapidated! Can this be a Temple of Justice?” he queried.
The lawyer expressed concern that the appearance of the courthouse no longer reflected the dignity associated with the administration of justice.
He maintained that anyone visiting the premises would immediately notice the deteriorating condition of the building.
According to him, “A cautious bystander will certainly exclaim upon a visit to the premises of the court that the glory seems to have departed from the Temple!”
Providing details of his observations, Okoro explained that the problems were noticeable from the entrance to the main building, where posters belonging to contestants in NBA Umuahia elections, the branch itself and the court had been pasted on the damaged glass entrance doors.
He argued that the installation of proper notice boards for the NBA and court staff would eliminate the practice of placing posters on the entrance doors and improve the appearance of the courthouse.
“A decent notice board by NBA Umuahia and court staff would save this embarrassing picture at the entrance of the court,” he said.
Beyond the entrance, Okoro described the interior of the building as poorly maintained, with peeling paint, cobwebs and nests built by flying insects visible around the ceiling.
He said the condition was so disturbing that visitors could easily mistake the courthouse for an abandoned structure.
According to him, a visitor entering the building would first notice remnants of peeling paint before encountering numerous cobwebs and insect nests hanging from different parts of the ceiling.
“You would imagine that the High Court complex is an abandoned edifice,” he lamented.
The lawyer further alleged that broken and abandoned furniture had been left in different sections of the building, while some areas, possibly including the toilets, appeared not to have been properly cleaned for years.
He expressed particular concern that lawyers and litigants were compelled to use the facility daily despite its condition.
“Unfortunately, it is this same building that litigants and lawyers visit daily,” he stated.
However, Okoro acknowledged the efforts of the Abia State Government under Governor Alex Chioma Otti towards constructing modern court buildings across the state.
He maintained that while the government was making efforts to improve judicial infrastructure, the administrative staff responsible for existing court facilities needed to pay greater attention to cleanliness and routine maintenance.
“Whereas the government of Abia State, under the able and dynamic leadership of Alex Chioma Otti, is doing its best towards the construction of modern court buildings in Abia, I strongly feel that the administrative staff of the High Court of Umuahia need to do more towards cleaning the court building and maintaining the infrastructure provided,” he said.
The legal practitioner suggested that several of the problems affecting the courthouse could be addressed through basic maintenance measures without necessarily waiting for major reconstruction.
He called for the replacement of broken glass panels on the entrance doors, the construction of proper notice boards and the removal of posters pasted around the entrance.
Okoro also urged the court’s administrative staff to remove cobwebs and insect nests from the ceilings, dispose of damaged furniture and introduce regular cleaning throughout the premises.
“They can at least replace the broken glass on the entry doors, construct a notice board and remove all posters on the entrance of the courthouse to give the entrance of the court a decent look,” he stated.
He added that those responsible for maintaining the building should also remove the cobwebs and nests hanging from the ceilings.
“They can also remove all built-up cobwebs and countless nests of flying insects, all hanging on the ceiling of the entire courthouse like decorations,” he said.
The lawyer further called for the removal of abandoned furniture and the introduction of daily cleaning to improve the condition of the facility.
“The Temple of Justice deserves a cleaner and decent look,” he declared.
Okoro explained that his observations were intended to draw attention to the condition of the building and encourage those responsible to take corrective action.
“I have tried to mildly paint the picture of a horrible state of affairs in the courthouse,” he stated.
He urged the court’s administrative staff and members of the NBA, particularly the Umuahia and Aba branches, to work together towards improving the cleanliness and maintenance of the judicial complex.
“The administrative staff of the court, NBA Umuahia, Aba, etc., we can do more towards assisting in the improvement of the cleanliness of the courthouse,” he said.
Emphasising the urgency of the situation, Okoro appealed to relevant stakeholders to treat the rehabilitation and maintenance of the courthouse as a priority.
“The time is now! There is an extreme urgency to redeem the glory of the Temple of Justice in Umuahia. This is most humbly submitted for urgent consideration by relevant stakeholders,” he concluded.
Post Title: “The Glory Has Departed From The Temple Of Justice” — Lawyer Raises Alarm Over Dilapidated Umuahia High Court Complex, Calls For Urgent Rehabilitation By Naijaonpoint.