The bishop, Ibadan Anglican Diocese, Joseph Akinfenwa, has called on all stakeholders to tackle food and flood crises in the country urgently.

Speaking at the 2022/2023 Oyo State legal year thanksgiving service on Monday, Mr Akinfenwa said the continuously rising cost of food items could worsen the situation in the country and affect the efficient delivery of justice.

The cleric noted that tackling the high cost of food and supporting farmers who are victims of floods should be the top priority for all stakeholders and governments at all levels.

“The bar and bench should be set for work this year. Let us unite and talk about the issue of food and not only law; a hungry man is an angry man,” he said.

As the country is entering another electioneering year, the bishop urged the bar and bench to refuse to be biassed and shun every form of patronage by politicians.

“Please don’t give justice to the highest speaker. Lawyers should not use their position to help people to pervert justice; we must restore confidence to this nation through our actions,” he said.

Mr Akinfenwa called on the Oyo State government to work more toward uplifting the judiciary infrastructure due for an upgrade.

“Our judiciary and people who go to courts have suffered long enough. Our judges need to work in a more befitting environment for efficient delivery of justice,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State said the state government would continue to uphold the rule of law as economic prosperity thrived where there was peace and the rule of law.

Mr Makinde, represented by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Olubamiwo Adeosun, said the government was conscious of the sacrifice made by the judiciary to ensure peace and tranquillity in the state.

The governor promised that the government would take proactive steps to ensure that the needs of the judiciary were met to ensure efficient justice delivery in the state.

The Oyo State chief judge, Munta Abimbola, said practical direction would be given for the effective administration of criminal justice as judges would be assigned to handle sensitive cases.

On measures to eliminate long writing in courts, he said virtual audio and visual recording instruments had been implemented in some courts.

“We have them already in courts 1 and 2, and before December, it will go round the courts by God’s grace. This will fast track handling of matters,” he said.

(NAN)