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| Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State |
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has said that his administration is committed to removing barriers hindering speedy access to justice in the state.
The governor also said that his administration would put mechanisms in place to ensuring that all citizens of the state have easy access to justice.
Uzodinma stated this at the launch of the Justice Transformation Strategy in Owerri, the state capital.
The program was organized by the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HIIL), Netherlands.
The governor also hinted at the need for speedy dispensation of justice in the country, stressing that access to justice for everyone irrespective of social class and political affiliation, should never be compromised.
He disclosed that he would constitute a seven-man committee to work towards ensuring that the average person in the state, especially the rural dwellers, find justice accessible and affordable.
He said, “The event that brought us here today is a true reflection of my personal conviction that all human beings should indeed have access to justice.
“In line with the 3R mantra of my administration, we will work with HIIL to rehabilitate what is broken that hinders people from accessing justice; embark on the reconstruction of the true hope of the common man and ensure the recovery of Imo people’s confidence that justice can be accessible, affordable and easy to use.”
He continued, “Two things are clear from this process: we have to incorporate Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) into our justice process using the multi-door courthouse already in place; secondly, we must look into digitalization of the land registry in the state with rural land included to reduce land dispute.
“My administration recognizes these as true game-changers that are capable of transforming justice in Imo State and impacting the lives of our people.”
The HIIL Country Representative, Ijeoma Nwafor, applauded the programme, stressing that it would help to bring innovations in the justice sector and ensuring that people are carried along.
They further disclosed that the programme was the aftermath of the coming together of critical stakeholders across all walks of life, to deliberate on goals that would make justice accessible to all in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 16.3, which seeks to achieve access to justice for all.
Nwafor said the strategy would also, make citizens aware of their human rights; become aware of avenues to resolve their justice needs, and update them on any new developments in the justice sector.
