Agbakoba sets agenda for new AGF, Lateef Fagbemi
A senior lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, says the new Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has pressing tasks to be carried out urgently.
Agbakoba said there is urgent need to reform the criminal
justice system with particular reference to what he described as “the utter
confusion in the duplicated work of the nation’s law enforcement agencies,
including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Crimes Commission, ICPC.
This is even as he expressed confidence in the abilities of
the new Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to deliver
in his new assignment.
Agbakoba said he is convinced that tasks would be simple for
Fagbemi, who he also described as a very good colleague.
DAILY POST reports that President Bola Tinubu on Monday
swore in Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General,
among other ministers.
However, in a post on his social media platform X, formerly
known as Twitter, on Monday, the legal expert is of the view that there is a
need to unbundle EFCC and restrict them to investigation only while a new
National Prosecution Agency ought to be established.
According to him, another key reform would be to completely
decentralize the Police Force at the local, State and federal levels, with a
major revamp of the nation’s outdated laws.
He wrote, “URGENT TASKS FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
FEDERATION.
“There are pressing tasks to be carried out urgently by the
new Attorney General of the Federation. Major reforms of the criminal justice
system with particular reference to the utter confusion in the duplicated work
of our law enforcement agencies in particular EFCC and ICPC are urgently
needed. Also, there is a need to unbundle EFCC and restrict them to
investigation only while a new National Prosecution Agency ought to be
established.
“Another key reform would be a completely decentralized
Police Force at the local state and Federal levels. A major revamp of our
outdated laws is urgently needed to follow the Rwanda example that modified
1000 laws. Last but not least the AGF must work on Speed of Justice. It’s a
crying shame it takes upwards of 15 years to conclude cases from the High Court
to the Supreme Court.
“The other very important task before the Attorney General
will be the unnecessary and wholly inefficient matter of over centralization of
our superior courts. There is no better time than now to hack down the highly
centralized Court systems in Nigeria.
“The AGF is invited to consider major constitutional
amendments to create a system of Federal and State Courts. State Courts ought
to have exclusive jurisdiction over matters related to them. This is also the
case for Federal Courts whose Jurisdiction must be limited to Federal causes.
This will free up the Clutter at the Supreme Court and make it the Policy Court
it ought to be in the first place.
“We have a brilliant Attorney General in Lateef Fagbemi SAN.
I am convinced that this will be a simple task for him. He is not only a very
good colleague but also someone in whom I have the highest confidence regarding
his abilities.”
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