Panellist
for LCA Mediation Day. Mr. Valentino Buoro, Mr. Yemi Akisanya, ESV.
Akin Olawore, Ms. Osarieme Ezekiel.
Members of the Attorney-Mediators Association (AMA) and some
other lawyers on Tuesday called on the Nigerian judiciary to insist
on mediation as a major way to resolve dispute and decongest the
courts.
Mr Valentino Buoro, a lawyer and Founder of the association,
made the call in Lagos at a master-class event of AMA.
The event heralded the maiden mediation training for members of
the association and other lawyers.
It had the theme “What Makes You a Good Mediator?”
According to Buoro, mediation is judiciary’s major to decongest
the courts as it is fast becoming the contemporary method of
dispute resolution.
“The fact that people are in a hurry to see their cases
concluded is a mediation technique; mediation is a faster method of
resolving disputes than litigation.
“Mediation is a very good alternative to litigation; with
mediation, you resolve a dispute amicably and everyone goes home
satisfied.
“Although it is important to train lawyers to practice
mediation, it is equally important to educate Nigerians on the
benefits of mediation,” he said.
Mr Yomi Okunnu, a lawyer and Chairman of the AMA Board of
Trustees, said that unlike litigation, mediation was a win-win
situation for parties involved.
“We need to sensitise ourselves and continually polish our
mediation skills, mediation has not come to kick out litigation but
it is definitely here to stay.
“All lawyers should have a mediation mindset.
”For any case that comes to your table; think settlement first
and not the money you can make from it,” he advised.
Okunnu urged that lawyers’ first concern should be how to
satisfy their clients rather than dragging cases to court for years
in order to make more money.
A mediator and a resource person at the training, Mr Femi
Akin-Johnson, listed some qualities of a good mediator as
impartiality, passion and dedication.
He said that every case, including murder, could be mediated
on.
“We are all mediators, we mediate in our daily activities,
whether it is between our families or our friends.
“Lawyers need to create constant awareness for mediation, some
people don’t even know what it is, we need to change that,” he
said.
Akin-Johnson also urged young lawyers to pursue mediation,
saying that it would give much profit and fame as litigation
would.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that mediation is a
method of alternative dispute resolution where a neutral third
party assists disputing parties in resolving conflicts through
communication and negotiation.