Rivers CJ Advocates Child Justice Administration In Nigeria

The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, has called for the strengthening of the child justice system to ensure a more robust and efficient justice delivery in the country.
Justice Amadi made the call while presenting his address at the opening ceremony of the second annual conference of the National Association of Family Court Judges, Magistrates and other Family Court Practitioners (NAFCJMPN) held at the Justice Mary Odili Judicial Institute Port Harcourt, yesterday.
He noted that children are indispensable part of the society that needs to be protected, stressing that their importance can not be overemphasized as the key to the future of every society.
He stressed that justice administration system in Nigeria needs to conform with the international standards by accommodating international rules, standards and laws as enshrined in various international legislations and conventions for the protection of children and their rights.
The State Chief judge noted that the children are vulnerable, adding that their peculiarity calls for specialized court to be in tandem with their nature.
He said it was in line with that the State government created family court in accordance with Section 150(1) of the child’s law of Rivers State, 2022, which was pari materia with Section 149(1).
According to him, the family court specializes in addressing the complexities and challenges that arise mainly within the family especially as they relate to children.
“It, inter alia, provides for fair, just and speedy resolution of issues pertaining to children in conflict with the law while not compromising the need for adequate reformation, rehabilitation and re-integration of the child. It ensures that matters relating to children are handled with utmost sensitivity, efficiency and in the best interest of the child”, he stated.
The CJ said that the conference would afford practitioners in the family court the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas on how best to foster and strengthen child justice administration, adding that it will serve as avenue to explore innovative approaches and best practices for repositioning of child justice administration in the country..
In her welcome address, the Acting President of the association, and wife of the former governor of Rivers State, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom Wike, said the primary mission of the association was to advance the effective implementation of the Child’s Rights Act 2003 and all other related legislations through advocacy, capacity building, knowledge sharing and effective judicial actions.
Justice Wike disclosed that six out of 10 children in Nigeria reportedly experience emotional, physical or sexual abuse before age 18 with half experiencing physical violence.
She said that the theme of the conference, “Repositioning Child Justice Administration in Nigeria” was meant to rub minds, dissect the issues and find common grounds for collaborative efforts to advance the effectiveness of the family and child justice system in the country.
Declaring the conference open, the former Justice of the Supreme Court and Chairman of the occasion, Justice Mary Odili, urged members of the association to leave up to the expectations and ensure that every child is honoured, protected and showed love.
She said as role models, members should strive to ensure that every child was not left behind in the justice administration system.
Our correspondent reports that there were goodwill messages from the State Police Command, state correctional centre, Nigeria Bar Association and FiDA, among others at the conference.

By: Akujobi Amadi