Enugu Working Group on project accountability commits to ACJA implementation

BY: Sandra Ani

The Enugu State Working Group on the project Promoting Accountability and Transparency in the Administration of Criminal Justice System in Nigeria has expressed its commitment to support the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and the Administration of Criminal Justice law 2017 of Enugu State.

This is one of the Group’s resolutions during the first Bi-monthly meeting of the group held at Women Information Network (WINET) conference room in Enugu on Wednesday 19^th June 2019.

The Working group members agreed to visit some key stakeholders in the implementation of ACJA and Enugu State ACJL including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to interact with them on the compliance to implementation both the Act and the law in order to identify the gaps and challenges and deal with them.

Sharing his experience on the implementation of ACJA 2015 and Enugu State ACJL 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Enugu Zonal Office representative in the group, Mr. Innocent Mbachie said that the organization is using the plea bargain provision in the ACJL and Act in speeding up trial in some of the cases as well as decongesting their cells.

The Executive Director of WINET, Mrs. Miriam Menkiti who facilitated the meeting said that the project is supported by CLEEN Foundation and MacArthur Foundation.

Participants in the meeting included the Zonal Commissioner ICPC Enugu, Mr. Sule Amedu, representatives of the Chief Registrar Enugu State High Court, FIDA, AFRILAW, Legal Aid Council, NYSC, PRAWA , Women Information Network and some media organizations.