Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), talked about how the Federal Government plans to carry out the Supreme Court’s decision on local government authority. He said that since the court’s decision on July 11, the government has been working to make sure the decision is carried out properly by finding humane and practical answers. Fagbemi says that this method was needed because a simple order to the Ministry of Finance would not have been enough to handle the problems. Instead, a more careful and team-based effort was needed because the ruling brings many different problems to the state level.
Fagbemi directly responded to a comment made by Mr. Labaran Magaji, who is the Attorney-General of Nasarawa State. Magaji talked about how hard it was for all 36 states to follow the ruling. The AGF agreed that there were problems, but he asked everyone concerned to see the problem in a bigger picture and keep the national interest in mind. Specifically, he said that the Supreme Court’s ruling was not meant to hurt anyone, but rather to make the country’s government stronger, especially at the local level. He agreed that there would be problems, but that the answer should be worked on slowly and with an eye toward the country’s long-term good.
The AGF also said that the Federal Government’s goal was to make sure that the decision would not hurt anyone and would instead make the political process stronger. He stressed that if the authority was properly put in place, local governments would be better able to do their jobs and provide better services. Fagbemi also said that the process of execution would need ongoing cooperation not only between the federal and state governments but also with other groups, such as the courts.
Magaji was worried that the states would have a hard time implementing the ruling. Fagbemi responded to his concerns. The AGF said that getting past the problems and making sure that everyone in the country followed the same plan depended on people working together. He said that the goal was to make sure the change worked for the good of the country’s government system, even if it took a while.
In his speech, Fagbemi stressed how important it was for state Attorneys-General to work together more. He praised the Body of Attorneys-General (BOSAG) for its ongoing work to make sure that everyone has the same view on important national problems. The creation of the National Policy on Justice and the National Policy on Arbitration, which have had a big impact on the future of the Nigerian justice system, stood out to him.
The Federal Executive Council approved the National Policy on Arbitration, which is meant to improve the use of arbitration and other alternative conflict resolution methods in the country. The policy lays out a strong system of governance that is meant to help people settle their disagreements more quickly and easily outside of official court proceedings. Fagbemi said that this policy is a big step toward making the justice system stronger because it makes it possible to settle disagreements more quickly and without as much conflict.
Fagbemi says that the National Policy on Justice is more important because it provides a broad framework for changes in the justice sector. This policy is meant to help the legal system do things in a way that is fair, clear, and accountable. Fagbemi was sure that if these policies were put in place, they would make it possible for much-needed changes to be made to Nigeria’s justice system. This would lead to better government and social growth in the country as a whole.
At the end, the AGF asked that federal and state leaders keep working together to solve the problems in the justice sector. He stressed how important it was to come up with consistent answers to problems that affect how justice is delivered in the country. Fagbemi also said that people should work to stop pointless lawsuits, get institutions involved, and make sure that the justice system works in a way that is fair for everyone in Nigeria.
He said that this ongoing cooperation is very important to make sure that the needed changes are not only put in place but also kept up over time. This will make it easier for the justice system to play its important role in the country’s social and economic growth. The Attorney-General also said that he would work closely with the Attorneys-General of the states to keep pushing these changes forward and make Nigeria’s justice system more efficient, open, and easy to access.
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