The Sokoto State Access to Justice Coordination Forum, on the second day of its stakeholders meeting, has constituted three separate committees to help drive it’s mission in the state.
The event was funded by the European Union through UNICEF in collaboration with Sokoto State Ministry of Justice,
The committees include that of Policy and Strategy, Integrated Service Delivery, and the Information Management and Service Tracking.
Membership of the committees were drawn from Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Legal Aid Council, Ministry of Health, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the International Federation of Women Lawyers.
Others were from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Correctional Service, Child Protection Network, Journalists, Sokoto Gender Based Response Team as well as some CSOs and NGOs.
Justifying the essence of the meeting, Sokoto Focal Person of the Justice Coordination Forum, Bar Fatima Ahmed Usman, said the programme was first introduced in Sokoto last year when the State Committee was inaugurated.
Usman, who is an acting Director in Sokoto State Ministry of Justice, added that with the setting up of the committees, service delivery will be better effective.
She said, “Now, we are doing the first meeting of the state committee to appoint sub committees and to give them their respective roles. The meeting will equally spell out the roles of each stakeholder to help us collectively achieve the objective of obtaining Access to Justice”.
“The main objective of the Access to Justice Forum is to amongst others basically help the vulnerable children in not only getting access to justice but speedy one for that matter”.
Speaking earlier, the Sokoto State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Bar Aisha Kaoje, suggested that an advocacy visit be paid on Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Saidu Sifawa and the Grand Khadi, Hon Sodangi Shu’aibu Achida to keep them abreast with the vision and mission of the Access to Justice Forum.
