By Itam Offor
The Cross River State House of Assembly has called for the decentralisation of probate services in the state through the establishment of probate registries in Ikom for the Central and Ogoja for the Northern senatorial districts to improve access to justice and ease the burden on citizens seeking probate-related services.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the need to decentralise probate administration in the state, sponsored by the Member representing Bekwara State Constituency, Hon. Charles Omang.
Leading the debate, Hon. Omang argued that the creation of probate registries in the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts would bring services closer to the people, reduce delays in the administration of estates and improve efficiency within the judicial system.
According to Omang, “A letter of Administration is a legal document issued by a Probate Court authorising a person to manage and distribute the Estate of a deceased person who died without a Will.
“In Cross River State, Letters of Administration are processed and issued by the Probate Department of the High Court in Calabar. People come from all over the State to process Letters of Administration only in Calabar.
“This causes a lot of hardship on Cross Riverians, who most times do not have a place to sleep and complete the process.”
Omang further noted that the current arrangement, which centralises probate services in the probate Department of the High Court in Calabar, poses significant challenges for residents from other senatorial districts who must travel long distances to process Letters of Administration and other estate matters.
Contributing to the debate, Lawmakers noted the financial and logistical difficulties faced by families and beneficiaries in accessing probate services. They maintained that decentralisation would not only reduce congestion at the existing registry but also ensure quicker processing of applications and enhance public confidence in the justice delivery system.
The Lawmakers also noted the risk involved in travelling from remote communities, citing an instance where a man died in an accident on his way from the Northern Senatorial District to Calabar to process the Letter of Administration for his deceased relative.
The House subsequently resolved to urge the Cross River State Government, through the Chief Judge of the state, Hon Justice Akon Ikpeme, to take the necessary administrative and legal steps to establish and operationalise probate registries in the three senatorial districts.
Lawmakers further stressed that the proposed registries would deepen access to justice, promote administrative efficiency and support the timely settlement of estate matters across the state.
