After years of waiting for government intervention that never came, lawyers, business owners and community members in Ikom, Cross River State, took matters into their own hands, raising ₦18 million to rebuild a High Court that had deteriorated into a symbol of neglect.
For years, the High Court 2 building in Ikom operated under leaking roofs, cracked walls and damaged ceilings, forcing judges, lawyers and litigants to work in unsafe and undignified conditions. Despite repeated appeals for government intervention, little changed.
Determined to restore dignity to the justice system, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikom Branch, mobilised support from legal practitioners, community leaders, private individuals and business owners to fund a complete renovation of the courtroom.
The project transformed the once-dilapidated court with a new roof, tiled floors, modern glass windows, new ceilings, courtroom furniture, a refurbished judge’s chambers, a public address system and a solar-powered electricity system.
NBA Ikom Branch Chairman, Tah Edwardson Offre, said the intervention became necessary after years of frustration over the poor state of judicial infrastructure in the area. He explained that previous efforts involved only temporary repairs, which were no longer sufficient as several court buildings had continued to deteriorate.
He also recalled that some magistrates were forced to relocate after a tree destroyed parts of another court building, while a separate Magistrate Court was gutted by fire earlier this year.
The Presiding Judge of High Court 2, Justice Emmanuel Ubua, sought approval from the Cross River State Chief Judge to coordinate the community fundraising initiative after concluding that justice could no longer be effectively administered in the condition of the building.
Commissioning the renovated court, Cross River State Chief Judge, Justice Akon Bassey Ikpeme, praised the lawyers and the Ikom community for accomplishing what many believed should have been the responsibility of government. She said her previous visit to the court had left her deeply disappointed but described the transformation as remarkable.
Justice Ubua said the courtroom had previously been an “eyesore,” with leaking roofs and collapsing walls, stressing that a court should inspire confidence in the administration of justice rather than reflect neglect.
Although the commissioning was celebrated as a major achievement, stakeholders said it also highlighted the urgent need for greater government investment in judicial infrastructure across Cross River State. They argued that communities should not have to finance basic public institutions that are funded through taxpayers’ money.
The renovation now stands as a powerful example of what collective community action can achieve, while also raising fresh questions about the government’s responsibility to maintain critical public infrastructure.
