OSINBAJO, OTHERS COMMEND CMC FOR HARMONIOUS LIVING IN LAGOS
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has commended the Lagos State Citizens’ Mediation Centre for its mediatory role in ensuring peaceful co-existence among all inhabitants of the State and for standing tall in the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Osibanjo, who described the initiative of establishing the agency to mediate over issues that would have ordinarily degenerated into conflicts as noble, attributed the relative peace being enjoyed in Lagos State despite being home to different ethnics and races to the efforts of the CMC in brokering peace and ensuring harmonious living among residents in the State.
The Vice President spoke in Lagos during the celebration of 2018 International Day of Peace & Stakeholders’ Conference organised by the Centre to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, with emphasis on the need for all segments of society to work together to strive for peace and respect for human rights.
Represented by his Rule of Law Advisor, Akingbolahan Adeniran at the event, Osibanjo expressed the hope that absolute peace is attainable in the country if more pragmatic steps could be adopted by all stakeholders, stressing that alternative dispute resolution was very key in the attainment of peace.
Also speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, said that the Lagos State Government is ready to harness every available window to further guarantee peace for residents of the State.
According to him, since there can be no meaningful development in an atmosphere full of rancour and disorderliness, it becomes compelling for government to devote attention to policies and programmes that would assist in fostering peaceful conduct across the State.
“In 1999, the Lagos State Government, in line with its constituted functions of ensuring peace within the State, established the Citizens’ Mediation Centre to provide access to justice to the indigent residents of the State. The Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC) is an initiative of the Lagos State Government under the Ministry of Justice with a mission to serve as a non-adversarial dispute resolution centre, through the use of mediation mechanism in dispensing justice fairly, speedily and without discrimination, fear or favour between disputing residents of the State,” he said.
The Director, CMC, Omotola Rotimi harped on respect for one another as a way of domesticating peace across every section of the society, adding that the fundamental of human rights also hinges on a peaceful atmosphere.
She called on anyone aggrieved over any situation to visit the agency for amicable resolution rather than hurrying to court, stressing that such an approach would sustain relationships and the society will be better for it.
On her part, the Director of the Lagos State Multi-door Courthouse, Mrs. Adeyinka Aroyewun called on parents to inculcate proper norms and values in their children from their formative years.
“It is essential for parents to develop a relationship with their children such that when these children become adults, they would have been trained to maintain peace. This is very important because a lot of cases that border on family disharmony are usually brought to us at the multi-door centre”, she stated.
The Conference had notable dignitaries as speakers and discussants among whom are Professor Bankole Shodipo, Fola Arthur-Worrey, Wemimo Ogunde (SAN), Adeyinka Aroyewun and Layi Osisanya.