Stories by Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
In a bid to enhance the effective administration of justice in the country, Judicial Officers in Abuja have commenced the 2014 refresher course on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the Freedom of Information Act.
The course was put together by the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the administrator of the Institute, Justice Umaru Eri OFR, stated that the course is organized annually by the NJI in fulfillment of its statutory mandate, which according to him is, “designed to promote efficiency and improve the quality of justice delivery in our courts”.
The theme of the course was, “Enhancing Judicial Performance through the use of Information and Communication Technology”.
Further more, the NJI administrator said the course was aimed at acquainting the judicial officers with the use and application of ICT in the performance of their duties.
“The judiciary cannot live in isolation. We are part and parcel of the global village now governed and galvanized by ICT. The judiciary must, therefore, embrace it” Justice Eri said, pointing out that, “Generally speaking, judicial officers are reputed to be knowledgeable in law, so there should be no harm in gaining knowledge in other areas including the use of ICT”.
He stressed that the use of ICT in the judiciary “has become more compelling with the launching of the Nigeria Judiciary Information Technology Policy Document. I think this is the time and we must not let the opportunity pass us by”.
According to him, “another area that will be engaging our attention in this refresher course is the Freedom of Information Act. The Act has been described as one of the most profound legislation enacted in Nigeria since independence.
“The FOI Act has radically altered in a most fundamental way, how the three organs of government relate with the ordinary citizens. It supersedes the Official Secrets Act of 1911 and the relevant provisions of both the criminal and penal codes, amongst other laws and relevant aspects of the extant Civil Service Rules”.
He further stated that the FOI has created “a presumption of openness where hitherto there was none. It has the added value of creating myriads of opportunities and possibilities for strengthening our current democratic dispensation by enhancing the citizens’ participation in government through access to information”.
However, he observed that “the Nigeria judiciary, so far appears to have been taken unawares by this Act or it was at least unprepared for it at the time it was enacted. We were so engrossed in the old system of doing things and felt least bothered by what was happening in the world around us”.
Justice Eri pointed out that the FOI Act has existed for the past three years, adding that, “but what we have witnessed so far are conflicting decisions by the courts that have adjudicated on the cases involving the Act”.
The NJI administrator said, “these conflicting decisions reveal the lack of proper understanding of the purpose and extent of the provisions of the Act. This development is not appropriate, especially, as the judiciary remains the most viable and veritable platform, and indeed the only functional forum for the resolution of all FOI disputes”.
“It is our belief that this training would enhance the capacity of the judicial officers in effectively handling disputes arising from the FOI Act in a way that preserves the underlying objectives of the legislation and thereby develop a rich, robust and harmonized jurisprudence in this area”.
In her address, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, however charged Nigerian judges to key into the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the quick dispensation of Justice.
The CJN stated that the judiciary must use ICT for the benefit of citizens noting that “the ICT revolution is sweeping across the world and computers have become a handy technological tool for solving many of the societal problems.
Justice Mukhtar who was represented by Justice John Fabiyi a Justice of the Supreme noted that “our judicial officers have no choice than to key into this process of ICT otherwise they may find themselves quite unsuitable for the 21st Century Nigeria judiciary. The rapid developments in ICT opened up new opportunities that were unthinkable only a few years ago.