From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi State Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah on Thursday approved the deployment of an electronic platform for the conduct of court processes as part of measures to enforce the partial lock down of the state over Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Ajanah disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr Abel Enefola, Chief Registrar of the state High Court and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Lokoja.
He said that the resort to electronic platform was in furtherance to his earlier directive to all divisions of the state High Court to render skeletal services and entertain “Urgent and Criminal matters and remand proceedings only.”
The resolution according to the Chief Judge was in line with the ongoing process of the domestication of the Nigerian Judiciary Information Technology Policy (JITPO) which the state judiciary had since adopted.
He added that the approval was to further reinforce the stance and determination of the Judiciary to always bring the courts closer to the people with professional efficiency and effectiveness regardless of any prevailing circumstance.
“Despite the skeletal services being rendered by the courts in the state, litigants, lawyers and the general public are assured that the state judiciary is determined to always bring the courts closer to the people.”
“Those desirous of the services of the courts in the state during this period of partial lockdown of civil service in the state are to link up with the courts in the state through an e-mail account on kogihighcourt@gmali.com”, he said.
The statement also assured that enquiries and all other demands would be met with utmost dispatch and accorded the normal attention with deserved confidentiality through the same means.
The Chief Judge however, cautioned members of the public against possible abuse of the e-mail platform saying the Judiciary Information Technology Policy had in-built regulators among other measures to check untoward activities.
