Gombe — Gombe State Judiciary has said says it has disposed-off 17, 153 civil and criminal cases while 2,733 were still pending in the state high and Area courts in the year under review.

The state Chief Judge, Mr. Hakila Heman, who disclosed this during the celebration of the 2009/10 Legal Year in Gombe stated that a total of 19, 886 cases were registered in the last legal year as against the preceding year where 19, 380 cases were recorded in the state.

Justice Heman said that 2, 723 cases were still pending in the state high courts and courts of appeals, saying 18 appeal seasons were held in Gombe, Dukku and Kaltungo respectively.

He also said that the yearning of establishing registry courts in the state has been taken care of as the state judiciary had obtained the license to establish courts that would oversee the marriage contractual agreements.

Heman added that despite that the judiciary was not a revenue generating establishment, over N8 million was generated in the last legal year through fines and other sources of revenue generation.

While commending the judicial union for not embarking on strike in the state as it was recorded in others states following an impasse between the judiciary staff and government, the chief judge added that 323 staff were promoted while 26 were retire owing to old age and poor health condition.

In his speech, the state Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Danjuma Goje, said he prayed the impending constitutional review conference would look into the hitches that were usually associated with electoral petition tribunal in the country for quick dispensation of justice.

He added the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man the state government must ensure that it was fully equipped with down to earth legal materials through the stocking of the newly constructed Law library with legal books and provision of internets facilities.