From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Benue state government has constituted three committees that will reduce cases in court and ensure smooth administration of justice in the state.
The include Garnishee/Judgment Debt committee, Arbitration of Justice and Advisory committee and Legal Drafting committee.
Benue State Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, who spoke to newsmen in Makurdi on Tuesday after meeting with legal practitioners in the state said several monetary judgments amounting to a lot of billions of naira were discovered at the time the present administration assumed office.
He explained that some of the consent judgements were given at the twilight of the immediate past administration.
Mnyim who noted that the inability of the immediate past administration to off set the consent judgement debt has given rise to a lot of garnishees.
He expressed worry that if nothing was done to forestall further garnishee of state accounts, the state government might not be able to pay salaries, pension allowances and gratuities.
“I came in and met several pending judgement amounting into several billions. Some of these consent judgments were given at the twilight of the last administration, leading to series of garnishee orders. And many of the cases are still hanging in many courts.
“If we fail to take proactive steps it will come to a time that garnishee will deny the government from paying salaries and pension allowances because what is standing out there as judgment debt is far more than the state gets in terms of Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR), and money that is sent through FAC.
“Now we need to interact with my colleagues who are in private practice who are lawyers to these plaintiffs that these judgements were given in their favour. So we are bringing them on board to be part of this government and by the suggestion made here, we needed to constitute committees that will take into cognizance the suggestions and proffer a way forward,” he said
Mnyim further said the garnishee committee which he described as critical, will look at the garnishee orders to reduce the cases and advice government in what to do.