STAKEHOLDERS CALLS FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE LAWS
By Shekara Anthony
The Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre has called for the full implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Laws in Adamawa State to improve and speed up dispensation of justice.
The Centre made the call at a two day Seminar in collaboration with Macarthur Foundation for all stake holders in the judicial system in Yola Adamawa State.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director, Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, Osita Chukwuma, represented by Joshua Dada, said the implementation and Administration of criminal Justice system is poor due to negligence by government, pointing out that this has led to high level of insecurity and corruption.
He said the states should make laws and rules that will guide the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws, urging Adamawa State government to go ahead and make rules for the rapid implementation of the criminal justice laws in the state.
Osita Chukwuma, said the essence of the seminar was to share knowledge and ideas as well as identify areas of successes and challenges that will be addressed to assist in realizing the full implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Laws, which he said requires synergy among justice system actors and stakeholders.
The Executive Director, Law Hub Development and Advocacy Centre, said the assessment workshop will allow them uncover where there are gaps and where they can come in to assist Adamawa state in the implementation of Criminal Justice Laws and hoped that others will copy how Adamawa state has implemented the laws.
In her address, the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman, represented by Justice Felix Nzarga, commended the organizers of the seminar underscoring the importance and its benefits, while appealing that the workshop should not stop at Yola the state capital, noting that judicial officers and other stakeholders at local government level are also critical stakeholders in the dispensation of justice that must be carried along if total success is to be achieved in the realization of Administration of Criminal Justice Laws.
The Chief Judge pointed out that there is no financial autonomy for the judiciary yet as the public is made to believe, stressing that financial autonomy is only on paper and is not a reality yet, expressing sadness that when it comes to finances, the judiciary is not treated well and its implications are huge in the overall judicial system, explaining that this type of workshop will proffer solutions to problems bedeviling the judiciary, hoping that the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the state will look into some of the issues.
Also in his address, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Alfraimu Jingi, represented by Solicitor General of the State, Samuel Yaumande, explained that Adamawa State government adopted the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws immediately it was passed by the National Assembly in March, 2015 and assented to by former President Muhammadu Buhari, and said if fully implemented will enhance speedy dispensation of justice and decongest prisons.
He said though the state has achieved a reasonable level of success in this regard, there are still areas of challenges like lack of full implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws, delay in justice dispensation leading to too many awaiting trial inmates across correctional facilities.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the state commissioner of police, commandant correctional service among others as well as three paper presentations.
