Ogun Judiciary Establishes Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre
Omooba Risawe
Ogun State Judiciary has established an Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre aimed to facilitate quick and effective resolution of conflicts.
This was made known on Friday by the Chief Judge of the State,Olatokunbo Olopade during the commissioning of the Ogun State Multi-Door Court House located within the premises of Magistrate Court, Abeokuta,the state capital.
The establishment of the centre according to her was in line with the directive of Chief Justice of Nigeria that each state judiciary should adopt and embrace the Alternative Dispute Resolution,ADR mechanism and adapt same into the court system by establishing multi-door court house in its juridiction.
Her words ‘I am proud to say that Ogun State Judiciary has today,become one of the very few judiciaries that have complied with that directive and keyed into the programme’.
Olopade pointed out that alternative dispute resolution has been acknowledged to be the quickest and less acrimonious means of resolving disputes globally,hence, need for the adoption by the state.
‘It has therefore become important and necessary for the Ogun State Judiciary to adopt this globally recognised fast and less acrimonious means of settling disputes,to meet the ever growing desire of our people for justice without stress,particularly within the fast growing commercial community’,she emphasised.
The chief judge disclosed that the state judiciary in collaboration with Institute of Chatered Mediators and Councilliators, ICMC has trained the panel of neutrals who are to serve in the court house and practice direction to guide the workings of the multi-doorhouse.
She added that this has been gazetted in the Ogun State of Nigeria Gazette No 5 vol 42 of February 2,2017,stressing that,’we are indeed ready to provide the good people of Ogun State the much needed forum to explore and benefit from Alternative Dispute Resolution’
Olopade also disclosed that, the response of the people to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution has been quite encouraging and it has been motivating factor and drive.
