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The Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Justice Kate Abiri has on Thursday inaugurated a five member management committee to run the newly inaugurated small claims courts for recovery of debts not beyond N5 million in the state.
In her inauguration speech, Justice Abiri noted that the idea of small claims court was birthed to give legal inclusivity to aggrieved persons whose claims were denied space and time in the congested and expensive dispute resolution platforms.
Justice Abiri expressed the dismay that the current adjudicatory system is both expensive and time consuming, saying it offers just little succour to litigants with small claims, especially those having to do with commercial disputes.
The Bayelsa CJ said: “We can imagine the plight of a small business operator who is owed money for goods supplied.
“To recover the debts, our businessmen have to go through a litigation system that may take eternity to reach a final decision.
“Oftentimes, the party may have spent much more than what he seeks to recover.
“Indeed, it is a fact that most businesses have closed down in Nigeria due to our courts delay in enforcing contracts”.
She stressed that in spite of being the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria ranks 131 out of 191 economies of the world on the ease of doing business.
This was just as she attributed the data to the latest World Bank annual ratings released on the 18thnof November, 2022.
Justice Abiri added that enforcement of contracts by courts is one of the criteria used in ranking ease of doing business.
She reiterated that the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Committee is collaborating with the Bayelsa government and providing technical assistance and support in the establishment of four pilot small claims courts.
Those inaugurated as members of the small claims courts Management Committee were, Justice Timipre Songi, Chairman, Ebiere Empere, Secretary and Florizel Obiri.
Also inaugurated as members were, Justina Daniel and Kelvin Amanawa, respectively.
In an overview of the small claims courts, Mrs Abise Theophilus, Deputy Chief Registrar, Bayelsa High Court said that the courts would be presided over by a Magistrate targets to deliver judgement within 14 days of concluding hearing and ensure that the cases were concluded within 30 days.
The Deputy Chief Registrar explained that litigants do not have to hire a lawyer to approach the special courts which are less formal and more flexible than regular courts as litigants are allowed to represent themselves.
Meanwhile, Mr Ukumbiriowei Saiyou, Yenagoa branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) has assured that the bar would support the efforts by the Judiciary in the state to expedite the dispensation of justice.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama kingdom, HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada (IV) applauded the establishment of the special courts, noting that the courts would give citizens access to justice.
The royal father noted that the small claims courts would greatly enable the use of legal options to settle disputes as against the self help option which he described as having led to the loss of lives in most instances.
