The Acting Solicitor General of the Federation/ Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Umar Etsu Mohammed, has described domestication of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ( ACJA 2015) as capable of enhancing cross-sector collaboration amongst stakeholders in the Justice administration.
According to him, the ACJA provisions were aimed at promoting access to justice and reduction of human rights abuses.
Mohammed stated this on Tuesday while declaring open the National workshop on implementation of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 held in Yola, the Adamawa state capital.
The workshop which is funded by the European Union (EU) for the North-East geo-political zone, is the fourth in the series of such trainings in the country.
Participants and stakeholders at the workshop were drawn from the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), Department of State Security (DSS), National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Serivices ( NSCDC), Legal Aid Council (LAC), Ministry of Justice and Magistrates from the States of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
Represented by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, the SGF who doubles as the host at the programme reiterated that the federal government will through the Federal Justice Sector Reform Coordinating Committee (FJSRCC) continue to lead the efforts towards reforming Criminal Justice administration and promotion of the rule of law.
He said, “Following the validation and adoption of the reporting templates and arrest protocol at the National workshop held in November, 2018 in Abuja by the heads of the various Justice sectors institutions involved in criminal justice administration led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, it became imperative to train those saddled with the responsibility of actual implementation of the Act.
“The Act has provided a broad legal framework for a more effective cross-sector collaboration and oversight between and amongst agencies in criminal justice administration and the protection of the rights of citizens.”
Giving a speech, the co-chairman at the workshop, Professor Tabiu Muhammed, lauded ACJA, saying its introduction was changing the justice system.
He said the approach would further help to curb some of the challenges.
While identifying implementation as key challenge, Mohammed stated that the monitoring mechanism will not only bring stakeholders to the same table but will also enable them identify tools to use to achieve set goals.
In a brief remark, the component manager, Rule of Law Anti-Corruption Programme ( RoLAC), Dr. Oluwatoyin Badejogbin, expressed worry at the rate at which citizens’ rights are being trampled by law enforcement agencies.
He then lauded the federal government for identifying key elements in ACJA implementation, stressing the need for an enduring partnership and interface.
