LAGOS OCTOBER 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor has lamented the high cases of rape, defilement and cultism in some parts of the State.
Mrakpor who made the lamentation while receiving in audience the Chairmen and Executive Members of the Asaba, Effurun and Udu branches of the Nigerian Bar Association who paid him separate courtesy visits in his Chambers said a situation where over 120 youths are remanded in prison custody just within a period of one week for cult related offenses should be a sources of serious concern to all stakeholders.
He reiterated the State Government’s unalloyed determination to partner with the Nigerian Bar association in ensuring that the State was conducive for investment to strive by promoting the rule of Law and good governance in an atmosphere of peace and security.
The Attorney said the Ministry under his watch will partner with the various Bar Associations particularly in the area of public enlightenment and sensitization of youths in the society against the resort to criminality, youth restiveness, and other social vices which have the effect of chasing away investors from the State.
While charging members of the noble profession whom he described as respectable persons of influence in society, to partner with the State Government in its fight against crime, the Justice Commissioner assured members of the Bar of the Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration resolve in bequeathing a just, credible, efficient and fast justice delivery sector through the various legal reforms already embarked upon.
On the on-going capacity building and computerization programme in the Ministry of Justice where over 250 laptops have been distributed to Legal Officers equipped with the standard electronic tool for research known as Law Pavilion, the Learned Attorney-General disclosed that the computerization process which is over 80 percent completed is expected to be finally completed by 2017.
The Attorney-General vowed not to relent in his commitment to increasing the quality of criminal law practice and also to sustain the capacity building efforts so that lawyers in the Ministry of Justice can compete favourably with their colleagues in the private law practice.
The Justice Commissioner who said his Office was currently reviewing criminal case files of matters in Court to find out the merits and otherwise of each case, averred that the process was part of Government efforts in decongesting the prisons.
He also canvassed for the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution practice in the amicable resolution of disputes, adding that the Delta State Government has trained over 100 Lawyers and non-Legal Officers in the Ministry in Arbitration and Mediation as a sure, fast and cheap means of resolving disputes instead of resorting to unnecessary litigations that is time consuming and expensive.
While promising to convey some of their requests to the State Governor, the Attorney-General promised to look into their other demands including that of payment of monthly dues by Lawyers in the Ministry of Justice and the completion of their Bar Canters.
Earlier, the Chairman NBA Branch Asaba, Mr. Chukwuma Ebu, his counterpart from Udu and Effurun Mr. Ayo Asala and Mr. Dennis Agbaga in their respective remarks commended the Attorney-General for the giant developmental strides and various reforms he has embarked upon since his appointment.
They listed some of his achievements to include procurement of laptops for Legal Officers, provision of modern office furniture, training of Lawyers in Arbitration and Mediation and his innovations in the administration of the Criminal Justice amongst others.
While urging him not to relent in his uncommon feat which has raised the standard of legal officers in the State, the Udu and Effurun NBA solicited for a quarterly interface between the Attorney-General and the nine branches of the NBA in the State as a way of moving the legal profession forward.