ABUJA – (Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Report) – The Nigerian Government has called on all components of the criminal justice system to ensure efficient administration of criminal justice in Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ibukun Odusote made the call lately at a two-day sensitization workshop / training on the administration of criminal justice system in Nigeria organized by the Ministry for its staff and stakeholders.
Ibukun Odusote, who was represented by the Director of Human Resources Management in the Ministry, Ibrahim Ajibola said that the Administration of Criminal Justices System is the merger of the major provisions of the two principal criminal justices legislation in Nigeria, comprising the Criminal Procedure Act and Criminal Procedure Code. She noted that the process preserves the existing criminal procedures while introducing new provisions that will enhance the efficiency of the justice system and help fill the gaps observed in these laws in several decades.
Odusote described the law as the much awaited revolution in the criminal justice arena, saying the criminal justice system which existed before the coming into force of this law has lost its capacity to respond quickly to the needs of the society, check the rising waves of crime, speedily bring criminals to book and protect the victims of crime.
“Every of the five components (the law, the community, law enforcement agencies, the court system and corrections) on the criminal justice line is important, interrelated and indispensable; that is why efficient criminal justice systems across the world create linked and reinforcing structures,” she opined.
She later enjoined participants to seize the opportunity of the workshop to improve on their knowledge and application of the criminal justice system in Nigeria.
Earlier in her remarks the Director of Legal Service, Ijeoma Ndukwe mentioned that the importance of legislation in the society cannot be over – emphasized since written laws govern the populace from birth, life and death. She also noted that the criminal justice system seeks to enforce the criminal law of the country that are usually divided in three categories, Federal, Military and State.
Ijeoma Ndukwe welcomed all participants to the event. She as well recommended regular workshops of its kind for members of the legal profession and other professions who would like to have insight to the legal profession by listening to objective statements on the principles and rules governing the practice of advocacy and prosecution in the courts.
