The Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) has called for collaboration between States and the Federal Government in combatting insecurity.
Malami made the call in his opening remarks at the conference of Attorneys-General in Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.
In his words, “The fight against insecurity should not be left to the Federal Government especially for offences falling withing the jurisdiction of the States.
“The instant Conference should also afford us the opportunity to determine the milestone we have been able to cover on curbing Sexual and Gender Based Violence since our previous commitments were made in 2017.
”In our quest to implement reforms in the administration of justice, a critical determinant factor remains adequate funding for the judiciary which also entails compliance with the provisions of the Constitution on financial autonomy for the judiciary and State legislatures, as a mark of our true and holistic commitment to the ideals of democracy, good governance and the rule of law.”
He noted that the conference with the theme `Enhancing Synergy Between the Federal and State Governments in the Administration of Justice in Nigeria” underpinned one of the major anchors of Nigeria’s democratic life.
“Our enviable positions as Chief Law Officers automatically confers on us the status of stakeholders in the administration of both civil and criminal justice in Nigeria.
“With this prestigious position also comes the onerous responsibility of ensuring that all institutions and officers of the state contribute their quota to ensuring that our legal system meets the expectations and desires of our citizens for the justice sector.
“In the discharge of our responsibilities as Chief Law Officers, we should always be guided by the abiding framework under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, as enunciated under Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which covers every facet of governance and our national life’’.
