Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode seeks stronger tie with judiciary

 Akinwunmi Ambode

Governor of Lagos State

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has called for the continuation of the cordial relationship and peace, which he said exists between the judiciary and the executive arm of government in Lagos State.

The governor, who described the judiciary as the last hope of the citizens, also admonished the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, and the rest of the judges to continue to dispense justice with the fear of God.

Ambode reiterated the commitment of his administration to the enthronement of the rule of law in Lagos State, which he said was the reason the state had continued to invest in judicial sector reforms.

The governor said this on Monday at the church service to usher in the 2016/2017 legal year.

Atilade led serving and retired judges, magistrates, judicial staff members, Senior Advocates of Nigeria and other lawyers to the church service, which held at the Cathedral Church, Marina, Lagos.

Also present at the service was the immediate past Lagos CJ, Justice Ayotunde Phillips (retd.).

Ambode, in his speech, said the service was significant as it was a way of seeking God’s protection and guidance for the new legal year.

He acknowledged the continuous support he said he had been receiving from the Chief Judge in the last 16 months that his administration came on board and harped on the need for continuous innovation in the judiciary in order to preserve the status of Lagos State as the centre of excellence.
Ambode said, “The judiciary remains the only and the last hope of the citizens here in Lagos State.

Our administration is det ermined to enthrone the rule of law and protect the less privileged in our society and that is why we’ve laid so much emphasis on judicial sector reforms and we believe strongly that this we can also do together.

“I just want to urge all of us in the judicial sector that we should discharge our duties with the fear of God. In this new legal year, let just innovate and reform, so that the Lagos State judiciary continues to retain its pride of place in Nigeria.