WE’RE COMMITTED TO EFFECTIVE JUSTICE SYSTEM, SAYS OKOWA

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that the state government is committed to effective and efficient justice delivery system anchored on the rule of law.

The Governor stated this Wednesday while declaring open the justice administration retreat organised by the Federal Justice Sector Coordinating Committee (FJSRCC), held at Grand Hotel, Asaba. Governor Okowa, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Festus Ovie Agas, said the justice sector is very vital and needed regular reforms to make administration quicker and closer to the people. According to him, “the state is justice reform minded; hence since the justice reform committee was inaugurated, a lot have been done while before now, the criminal justice administration has been domesticated and is at present before the state assembly”.

We need national justice policy that will encourage quick dispensation of justice particularly criminal justice, he said. Also speaking, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Peter Mrakpor, said the state government has assisted the judiciary in many fronts, saying that the government believed in the rule of law and that the criminal justice administration bill will soon be passed into law by the state House of Assembly, while saying that the conference will look into issues that will fastrack the administration of criminal justice in relation to the protection of witnesses who are to testify in criminal cases such as rape.

According to him, “in most cases, victims don’t want to come to court to testify, but the state is educating and sensitizing the public and it is yielding better results”.

He said the issues of rape is taking a terrifying dimension; adding that the state put measures in place to ensure that such people are punished as quickly as possible. As a state, we have introduced the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism, stressing that the state is anchored on the rule of law, which will in turn attract peace and investors, the commissioner said.

Similarly, the State Chief Judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro, said the state and the judiciary in particular have done much to ensure quick justice delivery.

He said that since he assumed office, more judicial divisions and districts have been created, including revenue courts, as well as public complaints desk, adding that all these were done to ensure that justice is faster and closer to our people.

In the same vein, Prof. Muhammed Tabiu, Co-Chairman, Federal Justice Reform Team, said the conference is organized to address issues affecting justice delivery in the country.

He said issues will be reviewed to ensure speedy administration of justice, particularly issues of rape, kidnapping, corruption among others adding that at the end of the conference, better ways of handling such issues will be adopted.