Ebonyi holds Citizens’ Accountability Forum, releases 328 inmates in prison decongestion programme

The Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has reinforced its commitment to continue advancing reforms in justice delivery and citizens unfettered access to justice as a means of decongesting the Correctional Centres in the State.

 

The State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Ben Uruchi Odo stated this on Monday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

 

He spoke during the maiden Public Accountability Forum organised for his office codenamed: ‘AG Open Forum 2.0 (Empowering Citizens, Advancing Justice).’

 

The forum was powered under the HAG’s-civil society collaboration desk.

 

Delivering his scorecard at the forum, the State Attorney-General stated that his Ministry has secured the release of 328 inmates through its prison decongestion programme comprising of prerogative of mercy and other components of its articulated strategic legal framework, the People’s Charter of Justice.

 

He explained that apart from improving the Ministry’s infrastructure and enhancing capacity of legal officers, his introduction and advancement of the victim-offender mediation in justice delivery has enhanced restorative justice system in the State, promoting the pillars of reconciliation, restoration, reintegration and reinstitution.

 

Odo emphasized that the Ebonyi Multi-door Court House, Ebonyi State Citizens’ Mediation Centre and the Office of the Public Defender established by the administration in the Ministry has further enhanced mediation, arbitration and conciliation in justice delivery, adding that the Ministry has trained over 20 lawyers as chartered arbitrators driving the mission.

 

While he added that the Citizens’ Mediation Centre has helped in reducing unreasonable litigations, the Office of the Public Defender has effectively complemented the services of the Legal Aid Council by rendering pro bono services to the less privileged in the State.

 

As a prelude to fully digitizing the justice system in the State, the HAG said the Ministry has procured and installed under grant, Speech-to-Text Machines to fasten judicial processes as well as helped the judiciary establish 6 Virtual Courts, one for the Chief Magistrate’s Court and 5 for the High Court with 4 Virtual hearing Centres in the Correctional Centre, among others.

 

Other innovations enumerated by the Commissioner included the decentralization of the Ministry across the 3 senatorial zones of the state, establishment of an Information Communication Technology Law Reporting department as well as the introduction of Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice Law Journal, soon to be launched.

 

He added: “We’ve assisted the Executive draft many implementable Bills, out of which 13 have been signed into law, including the Bill to review the monetary jurisdiction of the Chief Magistrate’s Court from N500,000 to N5 million.

 

“The last time Ebonyi Codefied it’s law was in 2009.

 

“Currently we have MOU with a partner, LexisNexis, to codefy our laws.”

 

Identifying paucity of funds, bureaucratic bottlenecks, language barrier and how to improve judicial officers welfare as some his challenges, he emphasized that the Ministry come 2026 will vigorously pursue the full implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Reforms to further enhance speedy justice delivery, establish the citizens’ mediation centre across the 13 local government areas of the State and collaborate with the State Ministry of Women. Affairs to improve juvenile justice in the state, among other visions.

 

Stating the objectives of the meeting earlier, the initiator of the event and Technical Assistant to the Justice Commissioner, Oluchi Esther Nwite, said it was to foster citizens’ engagement and participation as well as provide a forum for accountability and transparency to citizens of Ebonyi State.

 

She added that the forum was also to enable participants share key learnings and best practices as well as provide the forum for Citizens’ input for the actualization of the Charter of Justice, a justice-for-all component of the People’s Charter of Needs agenda of Governor Nwifuru’s administration.

 

Other stakeholders at the meeting including the State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation Chief Ikeuwa Omebe, his Solid Minerals Development counterpart, Engr. Chidi Onyia; the Commissioner of Police, Adaku Uche Anya represented by the PPRO, Joshua Ukandu as well as the PRO, Correctional Service in the state, Nneka Iyasei who represented the State Controller, expressed satisfaction with the event.

 

They commended the Attorney-General for the initiative which they described as first of its kind, pledging to partner with the Justice Ministry to achieve the goals of effective justice delivery in the state.

 

The event featured question and answer session from both physical and virtual participants who joined via the Ministry’s social media channels.