CLEEN Foundation, (formerly known as Centre for Law Enforcement Education), a non governmental organization has expressed delight that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) has been enacted as laws across the 36 States of the Federation.
The expression was made by the Acting Executive Director of of the Organization, Peter Maduoma in his remarks at the opening of a Workshop on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 held in Bauchi State on Wednesday, 6th & Thursday 7th November 2024 supportted by MacArthur Foundation.
Represented by an Officer of the Organization, Nnamdi Odoh, he said that, “It is with a great delight and on behalf of the Board of the CLEEN Foundation that I welcome you all to this crucial and important workshop on the ACJA/L in which we shall be looking at the Research findings on the Compliance Level of Actors to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Laws in our eight project states, Take an overview of State capacity to facilitate the effective implementation of ACJL Regime, Consider the Justice Gap and how to close them through State Capacity in the area of good and adequate Budgeting, and The critical role of Strategic Advocacy and Communication as a Tool for Policy Formulation and Change.
According to him, “For us in CLEEN Foundation, it is important that all the deliberations in this two-day workshop will lead to great improvement in the work we all have been doing in the advancement of the ACJA/L across the nation and particularly in our states.”
He however stated that,”The good news is that as at today the ACJA has been enacted as laws across the 36 states of the Federation. However, it is not “Uhuru” yet because the beauty of any law or legislation lies in the effective and efficient implementation of its content by the agencies that have been saddled with that responsibility as well as the perception and understanding of the citizenry as to what benefits are derivable thereof for a better society.”
“To this, the ACJA/L has been set to achieve a society where peace and justice reign and no one is oppressed. It is also this kind of society that will deliver the development that we all have desired, Peter Maduoma added.
According to him,”In this hall today, are very distinguished, highly knowledgeable, and well experienced personalities in various areas of our workshop considerations and we are confident that justice will be done to all aspects of the workshop and at the end of the day, we would have had a worthwhile gathering.”
He stressed that,” Please be assured that CLEEN will do all she can to make your engagement in these two days a hitch free one.”
He concluded saying,”Finally, let me thank our donor the MacArthur Foundation for funding this project and always believing in us that we will deliver on any assignment given to us in the advancement of ACJA in Nigeria.”
In her remarks, the Bauchi State Director of Public Prosecution and Overseeing Solicitor General /Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Shaawanatu Yusuf said that, “Previously we are having a serious challenge concerning the movement of case files to appropriate courts but as of now, the ACJL, that is, administration of criminal justice law, which came into Force in Bauchi state precisely in December 2032.”
She added that, “It has already addressed this problem, because right now it has already made it a law that we have Like three weeks when the case fire has been forwarded to the Ministry. It’s like we have three weeks within which our advice must reach to the Police, and we are trying our best To see that we comply with Section of the law.”
According to her,”Before then, there wasn’t any time Stipulated by law, that we should transmit our advice, before the Law came into force, but right now, it has already been taken care of because has been spelt out categorically.”
The Solicitor General added that “We have like three weeks within which to Issue out our advice after collecting the case diary from the Police, but from the side of the Police, there is no time limit.”
On the friction between the Police prosecution and the Ministry of Justice, She said that,”It all depends, right now, So many challenges which we were facing before, it has already been taken care of by the ACJL. So we don’t have much problems right now at hand. And any time it has been spelt out in the law that at anytime there is delay in communicating with the Police, that it comes to case dairy. The DPP now has the right to call the Police so that they will forward the case diary.”
On what She was taking away from the workshop, the DPP stressed that,”It’s like, just like I stated earlier on, one of the great challenges is funding, because of the ACJL, we have recorded a remarkable achievement so far since when it came in to force, because one of it, is that it has become a law that anytime when we call a witness, then we should bear the expenses of the witness.”
“It is a law. So we should pay for the transport Fare and at times accommodation, it all depends on where he comes from. If it is far or remote village, we have to pay for his accommodation Since he has to come to the town 24 hours before since the court ceased by 9 and court doesn’t wait for a litigant,” She added.
Shaawanatu Yusuf concluded that,”So we used to pay for their accommodation and transport Fare, So it is a law now, but how do we get the resources? So that is our biggest challenge now. So I believe at the end of this Workshop, I will now know the solution.”
