The Olowu of Owu, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oba Saka Adeola Matemilola, has urged the people living in communities under his domain to take advantage of the Olowu Mediation Centre to settle their various civil disputes.
The monarch gave the charge during the inauguration of the Olowu Mediation Centre, which took place at the Itapa Olowu area of Oke Ago-Owu in Abeokuta, stressing that unlike the cases taken to the courtroom, the mediation centre is set up to make friendly-relationships after cases are settled.
Oba Matemilola, who was represented at the event by the secretary of the mediation centre, Chief Abiodun Lasile, said the centre will settle civil disputes among Owu communities and their neighbours through a time-tested, established Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADRS) Scheme.
He noted that earlier in the 2023, more than a score of Owu professionals, noble men and women had undergone training, through the instrumentality of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), as neutrals for the administration of alternative dispute resolution in a bid to establish a royal multi-door dispute resolutions centre in the palace.
He said: “It is also our belief that this process will go a long way to assist in the reform of our judiciary, as it will help in no small measure to decongest our prison, as cases that would have led to long time litigation and subsequently imprisonment would have been settled through the alternative means. This is in addition to the possibility of helping to foster peace, unity and cohesion within the community.”
Speaking, the Towulade of Akinale, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, said he established a mediation centre in his palace in Akinale where he listened to various cases and that when he introduced the idea to the Olowu, he welcomed it.
“The ultimate goal is for peace to reign. Once we have established peace and conflict resolution here, the whole world will know what we are doing and it will attract the international community by recognising us and giving us more assistance in making sure that there is peace,” he added.
Also, Eyitayo Jemiri of Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit of NSCDC Ogun State Command noted that the unit had engaged members of the centre on the antics of alternative dispute resolution and how to use it in resolving disputes among parties.
“I’m happy to see the initiative commence here today. The interest of mediation is for parties to still maintain friendship and relationship even after the dispute. That is why we call it a win-win situation so that one party will not feel he is a loser. As a mediator, you are not there to pass judgment but to assist the parties in resolving their disputes,” he said.
The Oba Gbo of Owu Kingdom, Chief Olusegun Oyindasola, added that the primary essence of the mediation centre is to reduce people going to court because mediation is cost-effective and usually a win-win situation, while calling on other communities to adopt the initiative so as to resolve issues among people in their communities amicably.
