The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has reaffirmed the need for judicial officers to be firm in their pronouncements, however that the judiciary would ensure that the country moves forward.
The CJN spoke on Thursday in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
According to him, “judicial officers must continue to be in charge of their courts, this is the only way respect will be given to the judicial system in Nigeria.’’
He pointed out that arbitration was one of the set rules of court, as out of court settlement was the clause that provided for arbitration.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, also speaking at the ceremony, said that there was no need to prolong issues in the courts, stressing the need to settle matters through arbitration.
According to him, arbitrators are not out to suppress the power of the courts, but Nigeria’s procedural requirements are meant to be obeyed.
Malami said that more needed to be done to boost arbitration in the country, adding that Nigeria must be in the forefront of promoting arbitration.
Malami said he was optimistic that the challenges facing arbitration in the country would be resolved by the conference participants.
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Mr. James Bridgeman, the President, CIArb UK, said that Africa must look at the challenges facing arbitration.
He declared that relationship and transparency must be maintained if the institute must move forward in Nigeria.
“Africa must look at their challenges, learn lessons from it and develop solution, the future of Africa is in the hand of individual, he said.
Chairman, CIArb, Nigeria, Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-vivour, said that Nigeria was committed to the use of alternative dispute resolution.
“We continue to play a pivotal role in advocating for the reform of the legal frame work for arbitration in Nigeria with a view to having an up to date legal framework.
“We will work with our legislature and other stakeholders on the reform of Nigerian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, enacted in 1988,’’ she said.
