The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fgbemi, SAN has commended Body of Attorneys General (BOSAG) for their efforts with regards to national policy development aimed at enhancement of justice delivery. He said that with their efforts, they had been able to achieve harmonised positions on critical issues affecting justice delivery.
The Minister made the commendation while delivering his opening remarks at the Body of States Attorneys General (BOSAG) Meeting in Abuja, Thursday 14th November, 2024.
He therefore, tasked the States Attorneys General on the need for further cooperation and collaboration in order to jointly address contentious issues affecting the Federation.
Top on the issues are the development of the National Policy on Justice, and National Policy on Arbitration.
He said, “I would like to commend you all for the modest successes we have achieved as a body, in building consensus along issues which resulted in the validation and adoption of these Policies.
He explained that, “These efforts reflect bold initiatives aimed at achieving national aspiration for the justice sector through unity of purpose.
“The National Policy on Arbitration, which was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council, is a significant initiative to strengthen arbitration and alternative dispute resolution practice through a robust and effective governance mechanism.
“Even more significant is the National Policy on Justice, which is a blueprint that outlines the desired reforms in the Justice Sector, to engender fair, accountable, and transparent administration of Justice in the Country.
“I have no doubt that these policies will serve as the foundation for achieving the much-desired reforms in the administration of justice and strengthen the capacity of the justice system to play its role in the socio-economic development in the country.
“I am therefore particularly interested in deepening the relationship with the Honourable Attorneys-General of the States to enable us to continue to drive the much-needed change and create uniform solutions to challenges affecting justice delivery in Nigeria.
“We must therefore continue to promote institutional engagement and avoid unnecessary litigation where possible,” he said.
In his response to Nasarawa State Attorney General, Labaran Magaji, the Minister said “since the Supreme Court judgment on the local government autonomy, the Federal Government has been trying to ensure its implementation with required human and pragmatic solutions”.
Earlier, Mr. Magaji who represented BOSAG Chairman while delivering his speech on behalf of the body, had particularly harped on issues arising from the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment as it relates to local government autonomy, saying the conference has provided a platform to further table discussions on it.
“We are waiting for the wonderful committee which you are the chairman to ensure that we are not working in the opposite direction of the reform,” he added.
He however, said that the states were witnessing a lot of reforms under the current government “and we are doing our best to ensure that in our states, we meet the best practice required.”
Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, OON, mni expressed appreciation for support and cooperation over the years, particularly in the effort to advance the administration of justice. She also thanked the Attorneys-General for continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, with regards to development of policies and strategies for the enhancement of justice delivery and other developmental initiatives of the Ministry.
She explained that the Body of Attorneys General is a critical platform for initiating and deliberating on ideas and policies that engender necessary reforms. She added that the engagements so far have yielded results.
Jedy-Agba therefore called for continuous promotion of institutional engagement and deliberations on contentious issues and other matters that affect the nation.
Signed
Modupe Ogundoro
Director,
Information & PR
