The media have been tasked by CLEEN Foundation to hold the government accountable on the allocation of resources to ensure that there is efficient functionality and proficiency in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, ACJL regime.
The ACJL provides legislation aimed to enhance the efficiency of the criminal justice process, reduce delays in trials, and ensure the protection of the rights of individuals who come in contact with the criminal justice system.
The media was urged to sustain engagement with the Nigerian citizens, duty bearers and state leaderships, as CLEEN winds up its MacArthur Foundation project on media advocacy on implementing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA and ACJL.
Speaking in Lagos recently at a Media Dialogue, Peter Maduoma, the acting Executive Director, CLEEN wants the media to spotlight on increased budgetary allocation for the efficient implementation of the ACJL regime.
The charge was borne out of a study in eight states Bauchi, Jigawa, Delta, Cross, River, Edo, Kwara, Sokoto and Katsina- to address issues affecting the effective implementation of the criminal justice at the sub-national level.
Salaudeen Hashim, CLEEN Program Director, highlighted a big deficit on the side of the state.
According to him, “It tells very clearly that perhaps it is because the state in itself has some level of political influence on the judiciary generally, and that is why they believe that this idea of supporting and providing budgetary support would actually make it completely independent, and if it becomes very independent, it therefore becomes very challenging to be able to now do the bidding of the political elites.”
Citing an instance, an analysis of the Ministry of Justice budget for 2024 was cited, CLEEN indicated that: “2024 budget allocated a paltry 73m to the ACJMC a statutory body saddled with implementation ACJA whilst renovation gulped 971.9m while a whopping sum of 480m is budgeted for procurement of vehicles.”
He hinted on the 2025 budget, “I did a quick review of the 2025 budget of 35 states, and we realised that over 245 billions have actually been allocated to local security guards and of course setting up local security infrastructure, procuring guns for defence. But nobody from across the states has actually been able to put in so much to ensure that there is an efficient functionality of that particular criminal justice law in most of the states. We find that as a big deficit on the side of the state.”
He queries, “The question that really comes to mind is why therefore is the state very much afraid to adequately resource the implementation of the ACJL across the state.
He noted that, “If you have said it is very efficient, it is one of the most modern legislation that will actually reduce the right violations that we see, it will actually reduce infractions, it will reduce violations of human rights, it will reduce and speed up trial, then you are not putting money to allow it to function.”
