The attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has called on state attorney generals to further cooperate and collaborate in order to jointly address contentious issues affecting the country.
Fagbemi made the appeal yesterday while giving remarks at the opening of the Body of Attorney Generals’ meeting held in Abuja.
Represented by the AG of Nassarawa State, Labaran Magaji, the AGF harped on issues arising from the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment as it relates to local government autonomy, saying the conference has provided a platform to further table discussions on it.
The AGF lauded the AGs for their efforts in developing national policies to enhance justice delivery and noted that they have been able to achieve harmonised positions on critical issues affecting justice delivery, chief among which are the development of the national policy on justice and the national policy on arbitration.
He said, “I would like to commend you all for the modest successes we have achieved as a body in building consensus on issues that resulted in the validation and adoption of these policies.
“These efforts reflect bold initiatives aimed at achieving national aspiration for the justice sector through unity of purpose.
“The national policy on arbitration, recently approved by the Federal Executive Council, is a significant initiative to strengthen arbitration and alternative dispute resolution practice through a robust and effective governance mechanism.
“Even more significant is the National Policy on Justice, which is a blueprint that outlines the desired reforms in the justice sector to engender fair, accountable, and transparent administration of justice in the country.
“I have no doubt that these policies will serve as the foundation for achieving the much-desired reforms in the administration of justice and strengthen the capacity of the justice system to play its role in the socio-economic development of the country.
“I am therefore particularly interested in deepening the relationship with the honourable attorneys-general of the states to enable us to continue to drive the much-needed change and create uniform solutions to challenges affecting justice delivery in Nigeria.
“ We must, therefore, continue to promote institutional engagement and avoid unnecessary litigation where possible”.
