SGF Charges Justice
SGF Charges Justice reform teams to implement
ACJA
The Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary,
Federal Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata Esq., has charged the
justice sector reform teams in various states of the federation to
activate the implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice
Act (ACJA) 2015, in their states.
Mr. Apata, represented at the conference by Mrs. Maria Austin
Odigie, Director, Criminal Justice Sector Reform Department of the
Ministry, gave the charge on Tuesday, at a 3-day Network of Justice
Sector Reform Teams conference, holding in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti
State.
The workshop is organized by the Federal Ministry of Justice
through the Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee
(FJSRCC) in conjunction with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption
(ROLAC) project.
According to Apata Esq., the FMOJ through the FJSRCC has embarked
on a nation-wide train the trainer workshop for the institutions
covered by Sections, 29, 33 and 34 of the ACJA, which border on
safeguarding rights of prison inmates.
He urged State Reform Teams to work with the officers of
institutions from their state that have been trained to drive the
implementation of the provisions in their state using the adopted
templates and protocols.
“The templates and protocols set out agreed principles and
guidelines for robust information gathering, sharing and management
as well as framework for resolving cross institutional
problems.
“I urge reform teams to activate the implementation of these
provisions of the ACJA in their state for the benefit of our
people” Apata said.
Addressing participants, Apata, who doubles as Chairman of FJSRCC,
said with the support of development partners, the Justice Ministry
has continued to drive the process of mobilization and
sensitization of justice sector stakeholders to reform the justice
system for effective and efficient justice service delivery and the
promotion of the rule of law.
Since the establishment of state reform teams, Apata, disclosed
that 29 states have constituted justice sector reform teams, urging
states that are yet to establish theirs to do so without further
delay.
In his address, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State,Dr. Kayode
Fayemi, applauded the Federal Ministry of Justice and the FJSRCC on
the effort to reform the justice system.
Represented by Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for
Justice, Olawale Fapouhunda said, “These meetings have provided a
practical framework for the sharing of ideas and important
developments in the administration of justice in Nigeria.
“lndeed in my view, the most important objective of this initiative
is the sharing of information and expertise of the situation of
justice sector reform in our states.
“For us in Ekiti State, the reform of the administration of justice
system is not simply a theoretical concept or one that is all about
law and justice.
“Government accepts that the socio economic survival of our state
depends on our ability to evolve a reform agenda that on one hand
meets the expectations of our people for a sustainable improvement
in the quality of their lives while at the same time promotes fair
and equal access to justice for all” the governor stated.
Ogundoro Modupe
Deputy Director