NHRC lauds CLEEN Foundation for advocating ACJA implementation

The National Human Rights Commission has applauded a non-governmental organization, CLEEN Foundation, for its advocacy in the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in Nigeria.

The commission gave the commendation at the end of a two-day workshop organized by the CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The Chief Legal Officer of the NHRC, Patience Ovuezirie, said so far, the commission has attended about three trainings/workshops organized by CLEEN Foundation this year.

Ovuezirie added that the objectives and goals of the workshop, which centred on the theme ‘Advocacy/Workshop for Effective Implementation of ACJAL in Nigeria’ were in agreement with the commission’s mandate, which is to protect, promote, and enforce the rights of the citizens of Nigeria.

She said, “Without provision of funds through increased budget allocation and making such funds available to effective hands to manage, the realization of effective implementation of ACJAL will not be possible.”

In his address, the acting Executive Director of Cleen Foundation, Peter Maduoma, said that despite the awareness created, the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law is still very low in Nigeria, particularly in Delta State.

The director, represented by the Programme Officer, Mr Ebere Mbaegbu, disclosed that the implementation of ACJL in Delta State is very low, and called for an increase in budgetary allocation.

He said, “For us in CLEEN Foundation, it is important that all the deliberations in this two-day workshop lead to great improvement in the work we all have been doing in the advancement of the ACJL across the nation, and particularly in our states.

“The good news is that as of today the ACJL has been enacted as laws across the 36 states of the federation, but it is not Uhuru yet because the beauty of any law or legislation lies in the effective and efficient implementation of its content by the agencies that have been saddled with that responsibility, as well as the perception and understanding of the citizenry as to what benefits are derivable thereof for a better society.”

In his goodwill message, Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN, attributed the lack of “funds to the committee,” as one of the challenges “hampering the implementation of the intention activities of the committee.”

Ohwovoriole, represented by Assistant Chief State Counsel in the Justice Ministry, Mrs Sylvia Dumudje, said that the introduction of the ACJL has overhauled the criminal justice system in Delta State to the extent that all the stakeholders are now on their toes to ensure full enforcement and success of the law at their levels.

A member of the state Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, Mr. Chuks Okpunor, however, said the committee was committed to ensuring timely and fair administration of justice, promoting transparency and accountability as well as supporting victims and witnesses to get justice at the end of the tunnel.

Other stakeholders including the Police, and Correctional Service, and CSOs, among others, who spoke at the workshop decried the lack of funding hampering the implementation of the ACJL in the state.