BENIN CITY- Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki is advocating that the Nation Policy on Justice 2017 should address the issues of capacity building of operators in the judicial system and the protection of Human rights of the Nigerian citizens.
He gave the suggestions while declaring open a two-day National Sensitization Workshop on the National Policy on Justice in Benin yesterday.
Obaseki said, ‘’The policy should address issue of sound structures and processes for the judicial system, the need to improve capacities of judicial operators, and put into consideration the role of alternative dispute system in the country and human rights of the citizens.’’
The governor said that the implementation of a National Policy on justice was apt as the Nigerian justice system needed to be reformed.
‘’Our administrative justice system craves for reforms, there is need to restore absolute confidences in our justice sector. There are still doubts about the Nigeria judiciary system being the hope of the common man, we are hoping that all identified challenges in the judicial system would be addressed in the policy to make for efficient justice delivery in the country.
Obaseki noted that his administration had already embarked on the implementation of action plan to improve justice delivery system in the state. He said the state government had cued into the initiative of National Security Adviser on the prison reform and targets to decongest the prison by 50 percent in March next year.
He said other reforms in the state judicial system would include the appointment of more judges to facilitate speedy trail, investing in technologies to improve record keeping in the courts and building of ultra-modern court complex equipped with digital recording system.
Earlier in his opening address, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubaker Malami represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation, Dayo Akpata said the national Policy on Justice was necessitated by absent of a policy framework to foster collaboration among stakeholders in the system.
Malami said the policy was also in line with effort of the federal government to strengthen the justice delivery system to make it potent for the fight against corruption and protect human right.
He said the South- South Geopolitical Zonal National Sensitization Workshop was to get stakeholders examine and review the National Policy on Justice 2017 to allow for its implementation.
The workshop is entitled “Reforming the Justice System For National Development.
