The Enugu State government has announced that it is exploring partnerships to establish alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centres in the 17 local government areas of the state.
Governor Peter said the state would integrate customary dispute resolution into the state’s justice delivery system and train mediators who understand both the law and the local traditions.
The governor disclosed this through his special adviser on Legal Matters, Barr. Osinachi Nnajieze, during the maiden ADR colloquium of the College of Arbitrators Nigeria LTD/GTE, themed “Rethinking Dispute Resolution in a Modern Society – Going Back to Our Roots”, held in Enugu.
He said that ADR serves as a bridge between justice and peace, law and equity, the courtroom and the community and has proven to be an amicable way of settling disputes.
Mbah called on Nigerians to embrace ADR mechanism as a way of resolving issues between parties.
“In Igbo land, the Igba Nkwu (dialogue under the palm tree), the Izu (council of elders) and the Ndi Nze na Ozo (custodians of tradition) played critical roles in maintaining harmony. These were not just cultural artefacts; they were justice systems rooted in empathy, accountability and social cohesion. Today.
we must ask: How can we integrate these indigenous models into our modern legal frameworks? How can we empower communities to resolve conflicts without overburdening our courts?
“Let this colloquium not be a mere intellectual exercise. Let it be a movement. A movement to restore dignity to dispute resolution. A movement to make justice a lived experience, not a distant idea. A movement to build a society where conflicts are resolved not with bitterness, but with wisdom. As governor, I pledge Enugu State’s full support to this cause,” he said.
In his speech, the president, College of Arbitrators Nigeria LTD/GTE, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), described the body as a duly registered non-profit institution whose primary objective is to promote and facilitate dispute resolution by arbitration and other alternative means of private dispute mechanisms other than litigation in courts.
He lauded Governor Mbah’s leadership style, which he said was shown in his ability to co-host the event and provide the institution with the needed logistics to ensure its success.
Other speakers at the event are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Enugu State, Kingsley Udeh (SAN); Justice of the National Industrial Court, Owerri Division, Imo State, Justice Nelson Ogbuanya; Director of Training, College of Arbitrators, Nigeria, Dr Chikwendu Madumere and the Vice President, College of Arbitrators, Nigeria, Dr Okey Akobundu.
