NAN-H-52
Mediation
Uchenna.Eletuo
Lagos, March 27, 2017 (NAN) A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Mr Patrick Antia, on Monday said more residents of the state needed to make use of the Citizen Mediation Centre (CMC) to resolve their disputes.
Antia spoke when he led some other human rights lawyers to the CMC, Iba Centre, to find out the level of dispute resolution at the office.
The centre is among many others set up across the state to provide platforms for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and also decongest the conventional courts.
They are also part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence among the citizens.
Antia, who expressed satisfaction with the spirit behind the establishment of the centres, said they had helped to quell brewing crisis among residents.
“The speed at which disputes are being resolved is commendable; very much unlike in the conventional courts.
“Matters, as I have come to know, are resolved here at a win-win solution; a paradigm where both the complaint and defendant go home without acrimony,’’ Antia said.
He appealed to the residents to avail themselves of the services of the centre, instead of taking to violence to seek redress of perceived wrong doing.
“Majority of crises bordering on rent can be resolved here quickly,” he said.
The Office of the Citizens’ Mediation Centre was established in 1999 as a unit under the Directorate of citizens’ Right of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the CMC later became a separate entity by Law No.6 of 2007.
The Lagos State Government has continued to encourage residents that many cases taken to court could be settled at the centres in a way that both parties to a dispute would get justice at no cost, and quickly too.
Disputes that could be brought to CMC, include Landlord/Tenant disputes, Employer/Employee disputes and Employee Compensation disputes.
Others are Family disputes (including marital disputes, child custody, among others), Property Inheritance and Land Disputes, Monetary Claims, Commercial Disputes and Local disputes.
According to the state, 34, 511 new cases were received by the centres in 2015, and it mediated in 20, 966, resolving 19, 464. (NAN)
EUC/MAS/SOA
Edited by Moses Solanke/Oluwole Sogunle