Oyo State Government, on Thursday, said it would support an NGO, Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) in its move to expand court administration and case management in the state.
The state Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Abiodun Aikomo, stated this when the NGO paid a working visit to them in Ibadan.
The duo emphasised the importance of efficient and timely dispensation of justice, assuring the team that the state government would provide every logistics to ensure the success of the projects.
While the chief judge was represented by the Deputy Court Registrar, (DCR – AGM), Mrs Olumode Ogunrin, the attorney-general received the team during the visit.
They both pledged to provide an adequate space for the automated shelving systems, profiling and archiving essential to the project.
Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mrs Lucy Abagi, said the project, when completed, would aid quick dispensation of justice and reduce the number of pre-trial detainees in correctional facilities across the state.
Abagi, supported by the Senior Programme Manager of the NGO, Mr Kenechukwu Agwu, highlighted the outcomes of the previous implementations in the states already visited.
She listed the states to include: Nasarawa, Plateau and Kaduna, where she said that the projects were already ongoing and currently doing well.
“Our team is optimistic about the potential for transformative changes in Oyo State criminal justice system and looks forward to replicating the successes in the state, thereby fostering greater transparency and accountability in the justice sector.
“The project will improve access to justice and provide a platform to share the experiences, learnings, impacts, and challenges encountered during the implementation of the project.
“It will also serve as a platform to introduce government officials, civil society organisations and other relevant leaders to the Reforming Pre-Trial Detention in Nigeria (RPDN) project.
“This will, in great measure, reduce the number of pre-trial detainees.
“We will also implement custodial measures as a means of decongesting detention facilities substantially, with the aim of promoting alternatives to custodial measures and addressing the root causes of crime and conflicts in our communities,” she said..
Abagi said the visit would provide an opportunity to build an internally-strong and knowledge-driven state and non-state actors advocating for access to justice with transparency and accountability,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PPDC is an NGO and social enterprise driven by the desire to have a more transparent and accountable governance and increased citizens’ participation in governance processes.
The projects are designed to promote values and initiatives that drive institutional, behavioural, and systemic change in the society. (NAN).
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