Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
At leat, 150 mediators will benefit from sensitization and training workshop on increased access to local justice and strengthening local and informal system through the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
The Project Manager, International Alert, Sunday Momoh Jimoh made the disclosure in an interview at the venue of the training workshop organized in partnership with Multi-door court House, held Tuesday 21st to 23th May 2024, in Kaduna state.
He said the international Alert with support from UK International Development have established community platforms for dialogue in communities were they’re still working in Kaduna and Zamfara States.
According to him, Women for peace and security group network have been doing a lot of work in mediating especially in providing services to victims of Sexual Gender Based violence (SGBV) and linking psychosocial services to legal aid and other related services for over a year now.
Mr. Jimoh further informed that the Int’l alert is implementing the programs in Kaduna and Zamfara states, promoting stability, access to justice and accountability.
“We’ve been working in Kaduna for past 1 year and 2 months in the area of strengthening, prepared part ways in an effort to reduce the SGBV, in communities.
“So part of what we’re doing is to be able to give more people access to local justice in communities to be able to boost opportunity for peaceful coexistence and building cohesion between communities and individuals.
“The workshop was organised in partnership with Multi-door court House to equip mostly traditional leaders, dialogue facilitators, women and peace networks that exist in our communities, with requisite skills, for them to be able to fill in the gap or voice’ that exists in the access to justice space especially with skill of mediation.
“We’ve seen that if enough people are able to have this mediating skills between two aggrieved parties it’ll go along way to boost peace in communities.
“The partnership with Multi-door Court House is borne out of the need for communities to be able to coexist together peacefully. Efforts Kaduna state is making for creating multi-door Court and dialogue houses for people to have access to justice will go long way in contributing to boost access to justice.
“As the training is happened here in chikun today, it’ll happen in Jama’a LGA next time, where we’re also implementing ADR”, he stated.
He said “150 people are going to benefit from the training. We’re able to establish a community platform for dialogue in communities were we work.
“Women for peace and security group network we established that have been doing a lot of work in mediating especially in providing services to victims of SGBV and linking to psychosocial services to legal aid, and other related services for over a year now. Sensitization will continue some days coming in Jamaa and Zamafra state as well”, Jimoh noted.
Also speaking, Counselor in ministry of Justice Kaduna state and representative of Attorney General of Kaduna State, Kyari S. Zainabu said the ministry has a Department called Citizens Rights Department solely responsible for all forms of AGR for indigenes and residents of Kaduna state at zero cost free.
Zainabu who’s also a resource person commended int’l Alert for have gotten the right people for the sensitization training especially the traditional leaders describing ADR important peaceful coexistence in communities.
In an interview, Dorcas Levy Daniel, a resources person and Director Kaduna state Multi-door court House and ADR centre in the high court of Justice, also described the initiative as key, vital, important and inevitable.
She said instead of ligation, and going to conventional court, ADR proved to be better whether by way of Islamic settlement or alternative negotiations and arbitration. The options are better that going to court, because It safes time, energy cost. Party settled there dispute amicably and restore there relationship back.
“It complement the conventional justice system because court has room to refer cases to ADR centre to settlement. Parties can also walked to the center for settlement”, she said.
She noted that “The chief judge of Kaduna state has agree that the last week of July be set as court free, where everybody go to multi-door court house for what we call settlement week; to encourage ADR.
“Its free, with trained volunteers ready to do it free in all settlement with Suluhul, Islamic, customary laws others. Mediation and arbitrations reports fillings are free because we want to encourage ADR”, she emphasised.
Mrs. Laraba -Baba. T, from Mararaban rido, Kumashi Istifanus from Juji community in chikun LG, among other participants interviewed gave kudos to ADR initiatives, saying they’ve learnt enough to prepare them as mediators, and underscore its importance to open court, where relationship could be restored after settlement.
“We’ve learn how to be a meditator more. Prefers ADR because it make parties cordial than real court, respect privacy”, they added. End
