Nigeria’s former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, inaugurated Delta State High Court Complex in Asaba.
The project was inherited from previous administration of ex-Governor lfeanyi Okowa.
He equally flagged off the presentation of 20 Toyota Prado Sport Utility Vehicles, SUVs, to judges in the state.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Jonathan commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for credible performance and focus on the infrastructural development of Delta State.
Jonathan also lauded Governor Oborevwori for his prudence in returning unutilised funds of over N500 million to the state treasury when he was Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The former President urged the people of Delta State to keep supporting the governor for the overall development of the state.
“I believe that if you go across the country today, this is one of the best judiciary headquarters in the country and I congratulate the governor and the judiciary of Delta State for this exemplary project.
“It is not easy for a public officer or even a civil servant to refund money to the government in most cases; it is extremely difficult, but as a Speaker, you were able to do that and that shows that you are somebody of high level of integrity and you can be trusted.
“Please, continue to manage the resources of the state in that manner and use the money in a way that will affect the people positively.
“There are some people who believe that they must bring a government down for the purpose of politics, but when you are struggling to bring a governor or president down for the purpose of politics, you are bringing the state or country down.
“This is because the Governor or the President is sitting with public resources and everybody must encourage him to succeed and that’s the only way we, as a nation, can grow, ” he said.
Earlier, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori said the completion of the High Court building was in line with his commitment to the completion of projects inherited from previous administrations.
He said he was motivated to complete the project because the judiciary was the only arm of government without a befitting building for their operations.
He said the presentation of 20 Toyota Prado SUVs to judges in the state was a fulfillment of “a promise made.”
The Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Godknows Angele, at the occasion, said the building consisted of five floors, six courtrooms, six conference halls, six witness waiting rooms, six holding cells, six secretarial offices, two general conference halls, a ceremonial hall, multi-purpose hall, lawyers’ lounge, judges’ lounge, VIP lounge and a library, among others.
In his remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, represented by the Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal, Asaba Division, Hon. Justice Bolaji Yusuf, commended the state government for providing the magnificent edifice as a temple of justice in the state.