The Oyo State Government has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Public and Private Development Center (PPDC) on expanding Court Administration and Case Management to further reduce the number of inmates in various prisons across the state.
The Chief Justice of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, and the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Abiodun Aikomo, made this known while receiving the leadership of the NGO during a working visit to their offices in Ibadan on Friday.
In their addresses, both officials underscored the importance of efficient and timely justice delivery. They assured the team that the state government would provide the necessary logistics to ensure the success of the projects.
They also pledged to allocate adequate space for automated shelving systems, profiling, and archiving, which are essential to the project.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the NGO, Mrs. Lucy Abagi, supported by the Senior Programme Manager, Mr. Kenechukwu Agwu, highlighted the impressive outcomes from previous implementations in other states.
The states mentioned included Nasarawa, Plateau, and Kaduna, where the project is currently ongoing and performing well. The establishment of virtual hearing facilities has significantly enhanced judicial efficiency in those areas.
“Our team is optimistic about the potential for transformative changes in Oyo State’s criminal justice system and looks forward to replicating the successes here, fostering greater transparency and accountability in the justice sector,” Abagi said.
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She added, “The project will improve access to justice and provide a platform to share experiences, learnings, impacts, and challenges encountered during the implementation of the Court Administration and Case Management (CACM) project.
“It will also serve as a platform to introduce government officials, civil society organizations, and other relevant leaders to the Reforming Pre-Trial Detention in Nigeria (RPDN) project.
“This will greatly reduce the number of pre-trial detainees, seeking their buy-in and support for its successful implementation.
“We will implement custodial measures to sustainably decongest detention facilities, promote alternatives to custodial measures, and address the root causes of crime and conflict in our communities.”
Abagi concluded by stating that the meeting would provide an opportunity to build a strong, knowledge-driven network of state and non-state actors advocating for access to justice through transparent and accountable processes.
PPDC is a non-governmental organization and social enterprise driven by the desire for more transparent and accountable governance, as well as increased citizen participation in governance processes.
The projects are designed to promote values and initiatives that drive institutional, behavioral, and systemic change in society.
