By Ifeyinwa Ogwo
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has advocated for the Court of Appeal to operate effectively in the state. “Anambra, after Lagos, generates more appeal cases than other states in Nigeria. On merit, Anambra, after Lagos State, deserves to have a functioning Court of Appeal.
“The Court of Appeal in Anambra should not be closed for even one minute if merit and need are the criteria. It is a federal institution, but we have used Anambra taxpayers’ money to renovate the one already in the state, so ‘Come and open your court.”
The governor made the remarks during the 2026 Legal Year service, held at St. Faith’s Cathedral in Awka on November 13.
He expressed excitement about the commencement of the 2026 Legal Year for the Anambra State Judiciary, noting that his administration has done a lot for the Judiciary and still has much to accomplish. “We have distributed twelve vehicles to the judges and built solar panel systems for the courts. I understand some are malfunctioning, and they will be fixed,” he said.
Governor Soludo stated that the three tiers of government in the state are working together. This cooperation led to the Homeland Security Law, which aims to revolutionise the state’s security architecture by curbing fetish practices by some traditionalists, rescuing the church from fraudsters, and sanitising the state of criminal activities.
He used the opportunity to wish the Church of Nigeria God’s blessings and grace as it navigates the issues on the ground. He said there was no doubt that, whatever the issues, they would be resolved amicably and peacefully to the glory of God.
“As government, we have stayed off the matter completely and are not involved because it is the private affair of the Anglican Church in Anambra and Nigeria. For us, our duty is to maintain law and order, and I am glad that there is law and order,” he said.
For his part, the Chief Judge of Anambra State, Hon. Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, welcomed the Governor, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, and everyone to the service. He thanked the Supervising Bishop for hosting it. He noted that the Legal Year is an important time to assess their work and plan for the future.
He praised the Governor for his good work in the state and said the judiciary needs support and improvements in welfare, technology, and infrastructure to deliver services optimally.
In his sermon, themed “The Lord is Our Judge,” the Supervising Bishop of the Diocese of Awka, His Lordship Rt. Revd. Dr Samuel Ezeofor, described God as the ultimate Judge, whose verdict is final and admits no appeal. He admonished lawyers to fear God and keep His commandments, stressing that God is the ultimate Lawgiver.
Bishop Ezeofor urged the three arms of government to work together as representatives of God Almighty and reflect His principles in their daily conduct, noting that they woGod, the Almighty King, would ultimately judge them.
Present at the service were the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtoochukwu Udeze; Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN; Head of Service Barr. Ngozi Iwouno; and Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, among others.
Ifeyinwa Ogwo is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation, Anambra State
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