• Our Manual Simplifies Anti-Corruption Laws For Stakeholders – NIALS DG
By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun has commended the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) under the leadership of its Director General (DG), Prof. Abdulkadir Abikan, for it’s dogged pursuit of excellence for the country’s administration of justice system.
The CJN, who stressed the commitment of the Nigerian judiciary to the fight against corruption in the country, made the commendation Monday in Abuja while declaring open a 2-day Capacity Building Workshop on Anti- Corruption Laws for Judges.
“Over the years, the Nigerian Judiciary has remained resolute in its commitment to the fight against corruption, particularly with the enactment of the Criminal Justice Act of 2015 and its adoption by the various institutions across the judicial landscape.
“Since the enactment of the Act, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies has played an instrumental role in enhancing the capacity of criminal justice stakeholders, thus facilitating robust reforms, consolidating a legal framework for fighting corruption and promoting accountability in the system,” the CJN, who was represented by Hon. Justice Sa’ alawa of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, said.
She commended the various workshops, seminars, and other stakeholder engagement platforms organised by the institute to enhance the understanding of the roles of the various stakeholders for effective implementation of the laws.
According to the CJN, the training manual produced by NIALS for the workshop is methodically structured to address virtually all the issues associated with the dispensation of criminal justice.
“It is indeed designed to deepen the doctrinal and practical knowledge Prosecutors, investigator and other stakeholders with regard to anti-corruption campaigns,” the CJN said.
Declaring that the fight against corruption is a shared responsibility, the CJN called for all hands to be on deck for the nation to be rid of the menace of corrupt practices.
She particularly commended the NIALS DG, Prof. Abikan, saying “Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to commended the DG of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies for his unrelenting dedication to the course of advancing criminal justice administration in Nigeria and institutional development.
“His leadership continues to strengthen the role of the judiciary and a pillar of good Governance and bulwark against impunity.
“May I also, on behalf of the Nigerian judiciary, express our profound gratitude to the Mac Arthur Foundation for its generous contributions to the judicial reforms in Nigeria.”
Delivering his welcome address earlier, the NIALS DG, Prof. Abikan, explained that the pervasive nature of corruption in the country’s Socio-Economic life and the imperative of bringing it to an end for national prosperity necessitated the production of the anti-corruption manual as the tool for enhancing administration of justice in the country.
In a bid to simplify the anti-corruption laws for the various stakeholders to understand their respective roles in the fight against corruption with a view to stopping it through effective application of the laws, NIALS developed a manual and is organising stakeholders workshops for proper training of the stakeholders, this time it is the turn of judges.
He said, “You would all agree with me, that corruption remains the biggest single catastrophe, constituting a pervasive obstacle to our nation’s development, undermining public trust, distorting economic growth, and entrenching inequality.
“Today, we come to launch this manual of anti-corruption laws prepared by NIALS to enhance the effective and efficient implementation of anti-corruption laws.
“Together, we are making history by igniting the transformative tool in Nigeria’s relentless fight against corruption. The role of Your Lordships in achieving the goal of the laws and the need for all stakeholders to be on same page in reversing the debilitating consequences of corruption in our country cannot be overemphasised, hence, the need for this workshop.”
The NIALS DG emphasised that the five chapters manual provides a comprehensive framework for navigating anti-corruption laws, arising from the proceeds of Crime Act 2009 and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, for understanding the roles expected of the various stakeholders towards their successful implementation,
He urged stakeholders to embrace their roles and responsibilities in the fight against corruption, stressing that collective action is crucial to achieving the desired transformation.
“This manual, meticulously structured into five chapters, is more than a reference. It is a blueprint for action. It equips our judges, prosecutors and investigators with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of anti corruption laws, from the proceeds of Crime Act 2009 to the Justice Act 2015 while emphasising ethics, integrity and best practices,” he said.
He equally express profound gratitude to Mac Arthur Foundation for their support in repositioning the Nigerian justice system for effective fight against corruption over the years.
Goodwill messages were presented by presented by President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B. Dongham-Mensem; Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho; Chief Justice of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Hon. Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf; the Administrator of the Nigerian Judicial Institute (NJI), Salisu Garba Abdullahi; and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Adam Josiah Osigwe.