The Chief Judge of Kogi, Mr Josiah Majebi, has assured that the judiciary will continue to comply with existing laws and regulations on fiscal responsibility.
Majebi gave the assurance on Friday in Lokoja when officials of the Kogi Fiscal Responsibility Commission visited the judiciary on a fact-finding mission.
The visit was aimed at assessing the judiciary’s compliance with the state’s fiscal regulatory framework between June 2025 and June 2026.
Represented by the Chief Registrar, Mr Oladimeji Ibrahim, Majebi said the judiciary remained committed to fiscal responsibility in budgeting, procurement and financial management.
Ibrahim and other directors responded to questions on budgeting, implementation, capital projects and procurement processes, particularly transactions exceeding the N10 million threshold.
The commission also sought information on the judiciary’s mandate, appointments, budgetary provisions and releases, revenue generation and challenges affecting justice delivery.
Mr Abubakar Musa, the commission’s Director of Plan and Strategy, said the exercise was designed to examine financing procedures within the judiciary.
The commission’s Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Ayodele, said the Fiscal Responsibility Law empowered it to enforce compliance with budgetary provisions and guidelines.
Ayodele said the law prescribed clear procurement procedures and thresholds, stressing that compliance was essential to ensuring value for money.
He said the exercise would also educate, sensitise and mobilise institutions ahead of detailed assessments and full enforcement of the law.
The judiciary informed the commission that although revenue generation had improved, inadequate fund releases had hindered significant budget implementation, particularly capital projects.
The officials said capital project funds were rarely released, while some renovation works were executed by the state Ministry of Urban Development.
They identified inadequate office accommodation, insufficient structures for special courts and limited ICT facilities as challenges affecting the institution.
The judiciary also said challenges faced by other justice-sector stakeholders contributed to trial delays and affected the administration of justice.
It listed the review of the High Court and Area Court Civil Procedure Rules among achievements recorded during the assessment period.
The officials said the review had improved revenue generation and facilitated access to justice at the High Court and lower courts.
The commission commended the judiciary for reviewing the rules, noting that some previously imposed levies, fees and fines were economically unrealistic.
The judiciary also cited the establishment of a Surveillance and Intelligence Unit as another measure introduced to strengthen justice administration.
The officials said the reviewed rules and other reforms had made access to justice more seamless across the state.
The commission’s team included Mr Joseph Bello, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, alongside other officials.
Judiciary officials present included Ahmed Usman, Director of Finance and Supplies; Aisha Abdallah, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics; and Iregu Kabir, Director of Personnel Management.
Others were Hussain Adamu, Director of Protocol; Umar Hussain, Head of ICT; and Saqeeb Saeed, Head of Information.
Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi represented the Director of Estate Management and Projects at the meeting.