By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, ibadan
Correctional Centres in Oyo State will no longer be congested with the implementation of Administration Of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC).
The Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola gave this assurance on Monday in Ibadan during a workshop organised on the effective implementation of Administration Of Criminal Justice Law in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop organized by ACJMC in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Justice was also supported by MacArthur Foundation
Justice Abimbola said aside the reduction inmatesthe correctional centres the new legal approach would ensure that juvenile offenders were not kept unnecessarily longer at the centres as the law would FasTrack discharge of judgements.
According to him, it will ensure compliance with the provision of the Constitution which states that anyone accused of an offence will not be judged until he/she is proved guilty.
The Oyo CJ underscored the need for public awareness as well as get them involved in the implementation of the law.
He thanked MacArthur Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Justice for supporting the state through the provision sufficient equipment for ACJMC Secretariat in the State.
"When you have functional secretariat, the performance of the committee will surely improve.
"There will be better disemination of information to all stakeholders involved in the committee," he said.
Also speaking, the Secretary, ACJMC Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Suleiman Daudu, said the project would filled existing vacuum created by governments that relegated the development of criminal justice system to the background.
He said the neglect had led to the current state of insecurity, corruption, perennial congestion of detention and correctional facilities and courts.
Daudu said the activities to be carried out in the project included technical and logistic support to various emerging ACJMC across the country.
He remarks that the responsibility for sustaining the objectives of the ACJMC clearly rests on all criminal justice stakeholders.
"It's on this note that the importance of strategizing through synergy, sharing of information, knowledge and skills cannot be over emphasised.
"Oyo is the 13th state we are implementing the project. We still have about 25 more states to deliver.
"We congratulate Oyo for the remarkable success it had made in the passage of the criminal justice law and its implementation.
"Our theme shall endevour to guide them to create a road map toward the discharge of their duty effectively. We will provide the Secretariat and the daily ground/rule for its management," he said.
Also, the representative of the Oyo State Police command, CSP Olufunke Fawole said the ACJMC gave the police a wider knowledge of how to conduct proper and effective investigation in the discharge of their duty.
"The new strategy had aenlightened the police to be more effective, especially on how to carry out arrests.
"It made us to know the importance of having intelligent policing and to be very sure of the offence being alleged before we embarking on any arrest," she said.
Highlight of the event was the inauguration of the Oyo State ACJMC Secretariat by state Chief Judge, Justice Abimbola.
The Oyo State ACJMC was inaugurated on January 28 and the committee is led by Justice Ladiran Akintola.
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