…Launches Office In C’River
By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, ACJMC, at the weekend charged both federal and state governments to strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system.
This was just as the commuttee launched it’s Calabar office, in Cross River State.
The committee stated that when the justice system is strengthened, complaints of justice being perverted by law enforcement agents and those charged with such responsibility would be a thing of the past.
In a similar vein, complaints of arbitary arrest and unlawful incarceration at police cells and Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, facilities with out being charged to court would no longer be heard.
The ACJMC Executive Secretary, Barr. Sulayman Dawodu, dropped the charge during the launch/ handing over of the Cross River State ACJMC office to its secretary, Barr. James Ibor, in Calabar, stressing that the time has come when governments at all levels need to do more to drastically reduce incidents of arbitary arrest and remand warrants.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Effective Implementation of the Provisions of ACJA/ACJL In Nigeria,’ implemented by administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, Dawodu said, “Tell the President and the state governors that it’s about time that they take seriously issues of strengthening the country’s criminal justice system and institutions.
“And also strengthen the oversight bodies within the criminal justice system.
“We shouldn’t be hearing complaints that the police do not have money to investigate cases. They just arrest people without investigations and then you have to be proving that you are innocent.
“They just put you there, allowing you to languish in detention. This shouldn’t be happening in our society.”
On the issue of prosecutors using their money to prosecute cases, Dawodu said that “prosecutors shouldn’t be using their money to be doing cases.”
He added, “In this country, it is the prosecutors that spend out of their little money to be going to court.
“You can imagine if they failed to use their money, judges will just be there. One judge can have 400 cases and adjourn them every day. You come to court, cases are adjourned for three to seven months, up to one year.
“This shouldn’t be happening. That is why we say government should invest in the criminal justice system.”
In his remarks, the acting Secretary, ACJMC in Cross River State, Barr Ibor, who expressed excitement at the development, promised to neither compromised nor betray the confidence reposed in him.
He said that with the inauguration of the Committee, stories about abuse of the criminal of justice system would be a thing of the past; promising that he and his team would work assiduously to ensure that the desired change is realized.
