Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa has been sworn in as the new Acting Chief Judge of Edo State by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
At the Edo State Government House in Benin City on Friday, May 19, 2023, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, the former Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Joe Acha, as well as other high-ranking government employees and state judiciary officials were present for the swearing-in ceremony.
In his remarks, the Governor, highlighting the gains of his administration since its inception, said that the executive arm of the state has maintained a cordial relationship with the judiciary, which in turn, has paved the way for the sustenance of law and order and the rule of law in the state.
According to Obaseki, “We have and will continue to invest in the judiciary and the judicial system by boosting the capacity and efficiency of our judges and judicial officers to deliver judgments and carry out other judicial functions, as well as by promoting a conducive work environment for all of our judicial officers.”
Obaseki promised to continually advance and support reforms in the judiciary and respect its independence, in order to ensure that it lives up to its mandate of upholding justice in Edo State. “There is much work required to get us to the judiciary of our dreams. To achieve this, we must insist on hiring judges and judicial officers mainly based on merit”, Obaseki said.
“The outgoing Chief Judge, Justice Joe Acha, started laudable reforms. The new Acting Chief Judge has to continue with and sustain these reforms in order to deepen their impact on our judicial system,” the Governor said in his charge to the new Acting Chief Judge.
Upon taking office, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, the newly appointed Acting Chief Judge of Edo State, promised the Governor and the people of Edo State that he would uphold his oath of office.
He declared: “For the greater good of Edo state, and with the support of my learned brothers, I pledge to work in harmony with other arms of government and with mutual respect for the doctrine of separation of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended.
“We will work together to build on the achievements of our forerunners in order to elevate the Edo State Judiciary to an unparalleled level in the administration of justice, with a focus on information technology utilization.”
