Benue govt laments inherited judgment debts

Benue govt laments inherited judgment debts

The Benue State Government, on Tuesday, lamented that the deluge of garnishee orders or monetary judgments inherited from the past administration could run the state aground if urgent steps were not taken.

The Commissioner of Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, stated this in Makurdi at a stakeholders’ meeting with legal practitioners in the state.

He lamented that several monetary judgments amounting to a lot of billions of naira were discovered at the time the present administration assumed office.

The commissioner said some of the consent judgments were given in the twilight of the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Samuel Ortom.

Consequently, the commissioner constituted three committees that would reduce cases in court and ensure the smooth administration of justice in the state.

The committees are: Garnishee/Judgment Debt, Arbitration of Justice and Advisory and Legal Drafting.

He said, “Some of these consent judgments were given at the twilight of the last administration, leading to a series of garnishee orders.’’

And many of the cases are still hanging in many courts.

“If we refuse to take action, it will come to a time that garnishees will not allow the government to pay salary and pension allowances because what is standing out there as judgment debt is far more than Internally Generated Revenue and federal allocation.”

Mnyim added, “Now we need to interact with my colleagues who are in private practice so we are bringing them on board to be part of this government, and with the suggestion made here, we need to constitute committees that will take into cognizance the suggestions made and to proffer a way forward.”

He further said that the garnishee committee would look at the garnishee orders to reduce the cases and advise the government on what to do.

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