By Kalu Idika
Executive Secretary of Nasarawa State Judicial Service Commission, Barrister Yahaya Yakubu Shafa has stressed the need for Nigerians to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to decongest the court and promote healthy relationship.
Barrister Yahaya Yakubu stated this at a public lecture organized by Nexus ADR LLP, a development partner in Lafia.
Speaking on the theme “Dispute resolution in Northern Nigeria, Innovation, inclusion and institutionalisation of ADR, the Executive Secretary expressed concern that many minor cases that could be settled through alternative dispute resolution mechanism are piled up in courts for judges and magistrates thereby overstressing them and congesting the court.
“When you congest court with cases that can ordinarily be resolved at home, you make our judges tired and ineffective; litigation is indispensable, but experience has shown that it is not the only effective, affordable or relationship preserving mechanism for resolving disputes particularly commercial, family, land and community matters”, he explained.
He advocated a justice system in the Northern Nigeria where ADR is institutionalized, accessible, credible and complementary to formal adjudication.
Delivering the inaugural lecture, the Acting Director, Bayo Ojo Institute for Mediation and Arbitration, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr. Alex Epu emphasized that adopting modern alternative dispute resolution mechanism would not only save cost and time but is more flexible to preserving relationship and protecting confidentiality of all parties.
Dr. Epu attributed some of the security challenges including banditry to the unnecessary delay in the justice system in which aggrieved party is sometime force to resort to self help.
The conveners of the event, Barrister Augusta Shahin and Barrister Joseph Mtemdoo stated that the lecture was organized to sensitize stakeholders in the justice sector on the benefits of ADR in attracting foreign investors into the Northern states like Nasarawa State.
They commended the State Chief Judge, Justice Aisha Mohammed Usman for establishing two Multidoor Court houses in Lafia and Karu local government areas to provide options for litigants including ADR.
The Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Lafia branch, Barrister Dennis Alaku lauded Nexus ADR LLP for organizing the lecture to refocus attention of legal practitioners and other stakeholders to the non-adjudicatory methods of settling disputes.
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