Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.
Chaired by a former director, Legal Drafting in the Ministry of Justice, Alhaji Ibrahim Alhassan.
In its bid to curb unnecessary wastage of resources through government expenditure on salaries and emoluments, Kogi state government has directed all ministries, departments, and authorities (MDAs) to embark on forensic audit of all its staff and the financial implications..
In compliance with the governor’s directive, the acting Chief Judge of the state and Chairman state Judicial Service Commission, Justice Henry Adebola Olusuyi, on Friday inaugurated a three member special committee to determine the actual nominal roll and monthly wage bill of the state High Court and Judicial Service Commission.
The acting Chief Judge , while inaugurating the Committee, charged the members to be diligent, sincere and accurate in the discharge of their assignment.
The special committee which is Chaired by a former director, legal drafting in the ministry of Justice, Alhaji Ibrahim Alhassan, has Mr Samuel Atsumbe as member/secretary and Mr Paul Egwu as member.
Justice Olusuyi explained that the assignment given to the committee is to lay the foundation for a better and more efficient administration with a determined nominal role of staff and their emoluments.
“For a better and more efficient administration, it has become absolutely necessary for me to set up a special committee to determine the actual nominal roll and actual monthly wage bill of the Kogi state High Court of Justice and the Kogi state Judiciary Service Commission “, the acting Chief Judge said.
According to Justice Olusuyi, the committee’s terms of reference includes determining the actual number of staff of the High Court and Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the wage bill.
The committee is also mandated to investigate all appointments made and letters issued to the effect from January to August 2020 and determine the authorisation or due process.
It is also to investigate the salary scales of the staff of the two establishments to ascertain their genuineness and appropriateness as well as look into any other ancillary matter/matters as may appropriate for good administration of the High Court and SJC.
The committee has 14 days, from the date it was inaugurated,within which to submit its report.
It will recalled that the Kogi state Executive arm of government had a legal tussle with the Judiciary arm over auditing of the Judiciary .The state High Court sitting in Koton – karfe ruled in favour of the Judiciary.
To follow due process, the acting Chief Judge in compliance with the governor’s directive constituted its committee to look into its staff strength, emoluments, employment and other financial and administrative matter.
