Citizens’ Mediation Center, Citizens Right Department Built To Foster Quick Access To Justice – Rt. Hon. Osagie

By Clementina Agweda

Edo State Attorney General and Honorable Commissioner for Justice, Rt. Hon Samson Osagie has said that the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration is putting the right measures in place to strengthen the Judicial sector of the State as the Judiciary relates not just as a prosecutorial agency of government but also as an Institution that fosters social harmony, peace and quick access to justice.

The Attornry General made this known during a press conference to intimate the public on the workings of two strategic units of the Ministry of Justice; Citizens’ Mediation Center (CMC) and the Citizens Right Department (CRD).

Serving as vehicles to delivering on the objectives of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), both platforms offer access to legal services for the underserved and also strengthen the fundamental human rights of citizens.

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The Attorney General called on Edo Citizens and Residents to always access the services of these units domiciled in the Justice Ministry since 2018, offering free mediation services to indigent and vulnerable citizens who may otherwise struggle to navigate the rubric of the formal justice system .

He recounted that a total of 634 civil matters ranging from disputes relating to inheritance, matrimony, employer/employee disagreement, etc, have been successfully treated by these departments.

He emphasized that the Citizens Right Department (CRD) has helped to reduce the back log of cases in courts as it operates through two specialized units, namely; the General Compliment Unit and the Correctional Centre Legal Services.
The CRD unit, he explained, has successfully intervened in 393 cases over the years, including disputes involving landlords and tenants, domestic violence, human rights violations, and related offenses.

According to him,”The Citizen’s Rights Mediation Center and the Citizens Rights Department have played indispensable roles in promoting peace justice and Social harmony in Edo State”

While urging Edo citizens to take full advantage of the services offered by the two strategic departments, the commissioner noted that justice is not only for the privileged few but a right accessible to all.

Present alongside Management and Staff during the Press Briefing were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Barr(Mrs) Aikefe Aigbavboa, Director Citizens’ Rights Department Mrs Charity Ebosele, Director Citizen Mediation Centre Barr Melody Omosah who took turns in joining the Honourable Attorney General to respond to questions raised during the press briefing.