…As CMC receives 634 since creation
From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Edo State, Dr. Samson Osagie, yesterday, said his ministry has finalized plans to establish Citizens Mediation Centres in Ubiaja and Auchi to help speed up conflicts resolutions and promote harmonious coexistence among the residents of the given areas, respectively.
He disclosed this in Benin while speaking on the activities and achievements of the Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC) and the Citizens’ Rights Department (CRD), Edo State Ministry of Justice.
Dr. Osagie said that the CMC has facilitated quick and amicable resolutions of disputes, thereby reducing the backlog of cases in our courts and mitigating potential social unrest.
Osagie said that recognizing the need for a more accessible, cost-effective, and timely means of resolving disputes, the Edo State Government established the CMC as part of his broader justice sector reforms.
Osagie said the Centre was created to serve as a platform for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), offering free mediation services to indigent and vulnerable citizens who may otherwise struggle to navigate the formal justice system.
He said the vision of the centre is simple but profound- a peaceful Edo State sustained by the harmonious coexistence of her residents adding that, CMC has diligently pursued its mission of fostering a culture of conflict resolution among citizens.
He said since the inception of the CMC, the Centre has received and attended to 634 civil matters, covering a range of disputes including inheritance conflicts, matrimonial cases, employer-employee disagreements, landlord-tenant issues, property disputes, inter-communal clashes, and matters involving government entities and that, impressively, 70 percent of these cases have been resolved amicably, preventing unnecessary litigations.
Also while speaking on the Citizens Rights Department (CRD), the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, said though the CRD is similar to that of CMC, however, as part of the governor’s commitment to justice for all, the CRD operates through two specialized units vis-a-vis General Complaints Unit and Correctional Centre Legal Services Unit.
He added that the department has successfully intervened in 393 cases over the years spanning landlord – tenant disputes, domestic violence, human rights violations, and correctional centres decongestion etc.
He said under the Public Complaints Unit, it has handled 217 general complaints from citizens facing injustice, oppression, and corruption while 103 cases have been settled through mediation, preventing unnecessary court processes.
And on the Correctional Centre Legal Services Unit, he said, 290 inmates who have overstayed in correctional facilities due to delay or prolonged trials have been released through its intervention.