Delta State Government says in other to enhance the personal security and transportation needs of Legal Officers in the state, a budgetary provision of N30 million has been captured in the 2018 budget as car loan to lawyers in the Ministry of Justice.
The attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor disclosed this while receiving in audience the newly elected executive members of the State Chapter of Law Officers Association of Nigeria, led by its Chairman, Barr. Thomas Anigara.
According to the Attorney-General, the new head in the 2018 budget which has a provision of N30 million was different from the amount captured for general car loan for civil servants in the state which is domiciled in the Office of the Head of Service.
Peter Mrakpor while explaining the rationale for the special provision, said it was aimed at supporting legal officers to purchase their personal vehicles to ease their movement to court.
He said, owing to the sensitive nature of their work which involves carrying of
bulky sensitive case files and their personal safety, the Governor approved a head as car loan special provision for lawyers.
While congratulating the new executives of the Law Officers Association for a peaceful election and transition, the Justice Commissioner charged legal officers in the state to imbibe personal developmental culture and comply with the standard behavior expected
of them as legal practitioners and that of the civil service.
He debunked the rumour that he was a tribalist as a result of certain decisions he took regarding the posting of some senior officers to some Agencies of Government as Executive Secretaries. He explained that the decision was in the best interest of the Ministry and the beneficiaries as according to him, the status of the three Executive
Secretaries appointed from the Ministry was equivalent to that of amPermanent Secretary. He promised to deploy some legal officers those Agencies for the establishment of their Legal Departments.
On welfare of legal Officers and Staff, the Attorney-General maintained that he was irrevocably committed to staff’s welfare as the Ministry has worked out modalities to disburse enhanced monthly imprest to all Departments and Zonal Offices for effective service delivery while the issue of payment of all backlog of claims is
receiving priority attention.
He pleaded with staff who were yet to collect their Permanent Voters Card to so without delay even as he promised to increase the number of participants from the Ministry to the annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Earlier, the newly elected Chairman of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Delta State Chapter, Barr. Thomas Anigara told the Justice Commissioner that the visit was to formally introduce Members of the new executive of the body to him.
Thomas Anigara who presented various issues affecting Legal Officers ranging from training and retraining, and general welfare of his members to the Attorney-General, pledged their cooperation and loyalty to the Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s led administration.
The LOAN Chairman also expressed his willingness to partner with the Attorney-General for the mutual benefits and good of both lawyers and the Ministry.
