by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
At least 150 mediators will benefit from sensitization and training workshop on increased access to local justice and strengthening local and informal system through the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
The Project Manager of International Alert, Sunday Momoh Jimoh, made the disclosure in an interview at the venue of the training workshop organized in partnership with Multi-door Court House, held Tuesday 21st to 23th May, 2024, in Kaduna State.
He said the International Alert, with support from UK International Development have established community platforms for dialogue in communities where they are still working in Kaduna and Zamfara States.
According to him, “Women for peace and security group network have been doing a lot of work in mediating, especially in providing services to victims of Sexual Gender-Based violence (SGBV) and linking psychosocial services to legal aid and other related services for over a year now.”
Mr. Jimoh further informed that the Int’l Alert is implementing the programs in Kaduna and Zamfara States, promoting stability, access to justice and accountability.
“We have been working in Kaduna for the past 1 year and 2 months, in the area of strengthening, prepared part ways in an effort to reduce the SGBV in communities.
“So, part of what we are doing is to be able to give more people access to local justice in communities to be able to boost opportunity for peaceful coexistence and building cohesion between communities and individuals.
“The workshop was organised in partnership with Multi-door Court House to equip mostly traditional leaders, dialogue facilitators, women and peace networks that exist in our communities, with requisite skills, for them to be able to fill-in the gap or voice that exists in the access to justice space, especially with skill of mediation.
“We’ve seen that, if enough people are able to have these mediating skills between two aggrieved parties, it will go a long way to boost peace in communities.
“The partnership with Multi-door Court House is borne out of the need for communities to be able to coexist together peacefully. Efforts Kaduna State is making for creating Multi-door Court and Dialogue Houses for people to have access to justice will go a long way in contributing to boost access to justice.
“As the training is happening here, in Chikun today, it will happen in Jama’a LGA next time, where we are also implementing ADR,” he stated, adding that, “150 people are going to benefit from the training. We are able to establish a community platform for dialogue in communities where we work.
“Women for Peace and Security Group Network we established that have been doing a lot of work in mediating, especially in providing services to victims of SGBV and linking to psychosocial services to legal aid and other related services for over a year now. Sensitization will continue some days coming in Jama’a and Zamafra State as well,” Jimoh noted.
Also speaking, a Counselor in Ministry of Justice Kaduna State and representative of Attorney-General of Kaduna State, Kyari S. Zainabu, said the ministry has a department called ‘Citizens Rights Department,’ solely responsible for all forms of AGR for indigenes and residents of Kaduna State at zero-cost.
Zainabu, who is also a resource person, commended Int’l Alert for have gotten the right people for the sensitization training, especially the traditional leaders, describing ADR’s important peaceful coexistence in communities.
In an interview, a resource person and Director Kaduna State Multi-door Court House and ADR Centre in the High Court of Justice, Dorcas Levy Daniel, also described the initiative as “key, vital, important and inevitable.”
She said instead of ligation and going to conventional court, ADR proved to be better whether by way of Islamic settlement or alternative negotiations and arbitration, saying, “The options are better than going to court, because it saves time, energy cost. Parties settle their dispute amicably and restore their relationship back.
“It complements the conventional justice system because court has room to refer cases to ADR Centre for settlement. Parties can also walk to the Center for settlement,” she said.
She noted that, “The Chief Judge of Kaduna State has agreed that the last week of July be set as ‘court free,’ where everybody goes to Multi-door Court House for what we call ‘settlement week,’ to encourage ADR.
“It’s free, with trained volunteers ready to do it free in all settlement with Suluhul, Islamic, customary laws, others. Mediation and arbitrations reports fillings are free because we want to encourage ADR,” she emphasized.
Mrs. Laraba-Baba T, from Mararaban Rido; Kumashi Istifanus, from Juji community in Chikun LG, among other participants interviewed, gave kudos to ADR initiatives, saying, they’ve learnt enough to prepare them as mediators, and underscore its importance to open court, where relationship could be restored after settlement.
“We have learnt how to be a mediator more. We prefer ADR because it makes parties cordial than real court, and respects privacy,” they added.