Gusau: Stakeholders in Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto States have expressed readiness towards promoting Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) through access to justice and accountability.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the stakeholders made the resolution in separate presentations at a one-day technical workshop organized to strengthen ADR and its linkages with the formal justice system in Gusau, Zamfara.
The workshop, organized by the NGO International Alert, included participants from the three states such as traditional and religious leaders, security agencies, legal practitioners, judiciary officers, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), among others. The event was part of the NGO's efforts to support the state governments in establishing Multi-Door Courts for an enhanced ADR process.
The Permanent Secretary of Zamfara Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Suwaiba Barau, emphasized that the proposed bill to establish multi-door courts in Zamfara, once passed into law, would enhance access to justice and reduce the backlog of cases in the courts. Barau highlighted that enhancing the ADR system would also strengthen collaboration between courts, ADR centers, and communities.
Hajiya Aisha Ahmad, representing the Sokoto State Ministry of Justice, commended the Zamfara Government for its efforts in establishing multi-door courts. Ahmad noted that these courts would facilitate easy justice delivery through faster and more common processes such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiations.
Zamfara Commissioner for Justice, Abdul'aziz Sani, SAN, applauded the International Alert for its technical and financial support towards enhancing the ADR system in the state. Sani described the workshop as an effective way for stakeholder engagement and sensitization towards strengthening the ADR system in the states. He assured of the government's commitment to continue partnering with the NGO in promoting justice, fairness, and accountability.
Bello Aliyu, Secretary of the State House of Assembly Committee on Justice and Judiciary, mentioned that the bill for the establishment of the multi-door courts in the state would soon be passed into law. He praised NGi for its financial and capacity-building support to the state legislature in the process of establishing the multi-door courts.
Mr. Sunday Momoh, the Programme Manager at International Alert, presented on ADR Standard Operations Procedures (SOP) and guidelines, identifying involved stakeholders and outlining procedures to streamline the process. Momoh, represented by Mr. Stephen John, Project Officer of the NGO, outlined the constitutional, statutory, Sharia, customary, and administrative laws supporting the ADR system, and emphasized the specific laws that empower ADR referral processes.
Momoh also elaborated on the SOP system and guidelines that define the responsibilities of all actors involved, such as judges, ADR center staff, mediators, traditional leaders, LGA liaison units, and psychosocial support teams. He explained the operational timelines for each stage of the ADR process, such as referrals within seven days, mediation within 30 days, and liaison review within five to seven days.