By Onoriode Etatsemi
The Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN, has described legal year as a platform to celebrate past achievements and a call to action for the legal community in striving for a legal system where justice is delivered swiftly, efficiently and fairly.
Ohwovoriole disclosed this at the Ceremonial Hall, High Court Complex, Asaba during the 2024/2025 Legal Year Special Court Session.
The attorney-general used the opportunity to reiterate his commitment towards advancing the administration of justice in the state within the framework of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda.
Ohwovoriole, who highlighted his role to include among others, ensure that the state’s legal framework was robust, stated that with the support of his staff, the ministry was determined to contribute their quota towards actualizing the vision of the governor to enhance security and prosperity of the state.
He said that in the alignment with MORE Agenda, regular training of Law Officers conducted by first rate resource persons had been a crucial component of his ministry’s initiative, stressing that their commitment to enhancing legal knowledge and skills extended beyond the ministry.
The attorney-general disclosed that as part of the efforts to narrow the chances of offenders evading justice, a platform had been created for cooperation and synergy between law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Justice.
He added that the collaboration had been instrumental to improving the quality of investigations and ensuring that cases were meticulously prepared before being taken to court and emphasized that in strengthening the partnership, regular meetings were held with stakeholders to discuss and proffer solutions to factors hampering the efficient dispensation of criminal justice.
On plea bargain, the attorney-general explained that about one -tenth of the criminal cases filed in any given year were concluded within one year, noting that to address the issue, the ministry looked to other jurisdictions with similar challenges in the past, particularly the United States of America and the United Kingdom and found that over 90 per cent of criminal cases in the United States were resolved through plea bargaining while in the United Kingdom, it was about 65 per cent . In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Asaba Branch, Mr. Azuka Paul Maduemezia reminded his colleagues that being a member of the legal profession was both an honour and a responsibility.
