Stakeholders at the two-day workshop in Sokoto have identified synergy, proper budgeting and funding as drivers in the implementation process of achieving the objectives of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws in Nigeria.
The two-day workshop held between Thursday and Friday and organised by Cleen Foundation supported by the Mc Arthur Foundation brainstormed with critical review of the theme: “Advocacy for Increased Budgetary Allocation for Effective Oversight, Monitoring and Implementation of ACJL in Nigeria”.
The stakeholders noted that inadequate funding to enable the provision of basic modern technological requirements to enhance the responsibilities of the various organs in the process of ACJL implementation was evident and needed to be addressed.
One of the participants and panelist, Barrister Safiya Ahmed from FIDA emphasised on the police as an investigation and prosecution organ to consistently design capacity building for its personnel to be conscious of other responsibilities to the society on ACJL.
“The police don’t have to wait until they are told to especially on compliance with some sections of the laws”, Ahmed said.
Also, a representative of NHRC, Sokoto office, Barrister Abdulrazak Abubakar said the police must not fail to strengthen their knowledge and ability to responsively discharge responsibilities in accordance with the provisions of the laws.
” In fact, this must be driven by adequate funding to match responsibility with compliance with ACJL”, he added while also noted that the enabling condusive environment under which the police were working was lacking” The condition under they work today is fast discouraging. They need a humane and decent environment with motivation as other organs. ”
Abubakar further highlighted on the operational activities of NHRC as an organ in the implementation process of ACJL to include monitoring detention centres to ensure the national prevention mechanism against torture was domesticated inorder to fast-track the ACJL.
In his presentation, a Senior Programme Officer with Cleen Foundation, Mr Ekobay Benard noted that ACJL at the state level, regulates criminal procedure legislation in the country.
According to Benard, the laws seek to improve mechanisms for fair and speedy dispensation of Justice while noting that justice was bedrock of a potential and viable society citing the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which clearly spelt out among it focal aspects to “drive judicial reforms for sustainable economic growth.
” This can only be driven by proper budgeting to insulate and safeguard the judiciary from politics influence for fair, impartial justice system through responsive and result-oriented advocacy approach for inclusive budgeting for ACJL implementation.
” It will also eliminate delays and backlog plaguing the courts which not only deny timely dispensation of Justice but affect public confidence in the judicial system”, he pointed out.
According to him, a responsive monitoring committee for the implementation of the ACJL , would fast-track avenue for compliance and attainment of the ACJL objectives.
He disclosed that Cleen Foundation had taken time to develop a research on the compliance levels of actors to the provisions of the ACJL state project which empirical research statistics showed that Sokoto state among seven others , had improved with significant performance .
” States should release funds for ACJL to achieve responsive compliance level for the benefit of citizens “, he called.
Earlier in his message , the Ag Executive Director of Cleen Foundation, Mr Peter Maduoma noted that the significance of any law lied in the effective and efficient implementation of it content by the agencies saddled with the responsibility and the public perception and understanding of the derivable benefits.
According to him, ACJL was set set to achieve a society where peace and justice reign without oppression of any sort.
” The good thing today is that ACJA has been enacted as laws across the 36 states of the federation.
The project is being implemented in eight states which include: Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kwara, Bauchi, Delta Cross River and Sokoto was designed to reduce corruption, promote transparency in processing corrupt cases and enhance accountability in order to achieve the objective of tracking compliance level as a fundamental focal aspect.
The participants stakeholders were drawn from the police, media, Correctional Centre, immigration, NSCDC, Legal Aid Council, NHRC, FIDA and CSOs who spoke as panellists, highlighting on the need to promote synergy to counter the challenges as well improve on aspects that would enable ACJL full implementation.
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