By EMMANUEL ANTSWEN

The Ministry of Justice in Benue says it is negotiating with judgement creditors to spread the payment of debts owed by the state in instalments, as part of efforts to ease pressure from garnishee orders.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Prof. Yangien Ornguga, disclosed this on Saturday in Makurdi.

Ornguga explained that a garnishee order was a court directive requiring a third party, such as a bank holding funds belonging to a judgement debtor, to release the money to a judgement creditor.

He said such orders followed valid court judgements that had not been satisfied by the judgement debtor.

The commissioner said the ministry had adopted dialogue and negotiation with judgement creditors to manage the situation.

According to him, the ministry has invited creditors and their lawyers for discussions and appealed to them to accept payment of outstanding judgements in instalments.

“Government is not saying it will not pay you, but allow us to pay so that we can also breathe,” he said.

Ornguga explained that some judgement debts involved substantial sums, adding that immediate payment could affect the government’s ability to meet other obligations, including salaries and infrastructure.

He said some creditors had accepted the arrangement allowing the government to spread payments over 12 or 13 months.

“When they agree, we now schedule them for payment, and you won’t hear that anybody went to the bank to enforce that order,” he said.

The commissioner, however, acknowledged that some creditors had declined to negotiate, noting that they retained the legal right to seek enforcement through garnishee proceedings.

He urged lawyers representing judgement creditors to show understanding, stressing that the government had several responsibilities to fulfil.

Ornguga said the ministry’s approach was to manage judgement debts in a way that would enable the government to meet its legal obligations without undermining the provision of essential services.

On broader justice administration, the commissioner said the ministry had continued to prosecute criminal cases and defend the government in civil matters.

He said the ministry had also introduced a website to improve access to justice, through which members of the public could report cases and seek assistance.

Ornguga said the platform would particularly assist victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to make reports online without necessarily visiting the ministry or police station.

He described the website as a huge achievement for the ministry and the state.

The commissioner also disclosed that the ministry had established a legal desk at the IDP camp to enable victims of SGBV to report cases and access legal assistance.

He said the ministry was also collaborating with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to combat human trafficking through advocacy and public awareness.

Ornguga said the ministry had reviewed several outdated laws, including the Child Rights Law, Penal Code, Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, Education Law and Local Government Law.

The commissioner also urged the media to strengthen public enlightenment on laws and responsible citizenship.

He said journalists had a responsibility to counter misinformation and educate citizens on the consequences of violating the law.

“It is your responsibility to devise a means of countering fake news, fake stories about the government, the judiciary and indeed the justice sector generally,” he said.

Ornguga further urged journalists to uphold professional ethics and verify information before publication to avoid spreading falsehoods and exposing themselves to litigation.

He also called on the media to report and condemn electoral violence and other actions capable of disrupting peace and public order.

“Some politicians will use boys or girls to cause confusion, to cause disorder during elections, and to condemn it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Eze Thomas, said the ministry had recorded improvement in infrastructure and staff welfare.

Thomas said the ministry was being transformed into a safer and more conducive working environment for lawyers, support staff and visitors.

He said salary adjustments in the judicial sector had also benefited the staff of the ministry, adding that about 17 months of salary arrears had been cleared through the commissioner’s efforts.

Thomas further said staff punctuality and commitment to duty had improved considerably, with previous laxity significantly reduced. (NAN)