Ebonyi State, located within the South East zone, is one of the 36 federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi tracked down the Ebonyi State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Ben Uruchi Odoh, who is also the Chairman of Body of State Attorneys-General (BOSAG). He spoke on the steps Ebonyi State has taken to reform and modernise justice administration under his watch with the vision and support of Governor Nwifuru, making their State a trend-setter in this respect; how Ebonyi State was the only one in the South East that didn’t observe the unlawful Monday sit-at-home order imposed by IPOB, and his role as Chairman of BOSAG
Hon. Attorney-General, did you set a clear agenda when you assumed office, one that aligns with the current realities and needs of the justice sector? If you did, kindly, share the highlights of your agenda. The argument is that without an activity plan, the AG may get distracted with the ongoings in Government, and maybe start to see themselves as the Lawyer of only the Governor, as opposed to also being the people’s Lawyer. How well have you balanced this?
When I assumed office as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Ebonyi State on June 20, 2023, I came prepared. I had no intention of continuing with old routines. I was fully aware of the gaps in our justice system – delays in case handling, poor access to legal services, and the general mistrust many citizens had for the system. So, I knew that without a clear and focused agenda, it would be easy to drift or be pulled in too many directions.
