By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
The Chief Judge of Plateau State, Justice David Mann has commended the synergy between the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) and the GIZ SEDIN Project, for their efforts in enhancing mediation through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Mann disclosed this at that opening of an Orientational Training and Retraining of Mediators organised by the two aforementioned organisations, in collaboration with Plateau Multi Door Court House (PMDCH) held in Jos, the State Capital.
He said, “This programme is a welcome development, because it is giving emphasis to mediation, which is one of the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
“It is important that we get involve in this particular aspect of dispute resolution (mediation), because more and more we see the other doors of ADR becoming cloaked by perhaps attitude, especially as lawyers or conciliators.
“We must learn to keep to the rules to ensure that disputes are resolved easily; so that we can move forward as a society.
“Also, so that our state can be recond with as one of those that anyone could easily come and invest in.
He commended the ICMC for putting together the programme, saying”It will be very beneficial to all of us; and and assure you of our support”.
Also speaking, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Chrysanthus Ahmadu, said, “Having the ICMC is a welcome development; as efforts are geared towards creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, lives to be improved among the citizenry in the state.
Ahmadu maintained that GIZ who is partnering ICMC is a strategic partner of the state government as it has intervened in many areas in the state.
“As far as dispute resolution processes are concern, GIZ has been on it,alongside other programmes.
“We all know, especially those of us who are lawyers, who have been into litigation and arbitration, know how tasking it is to get justice and dispute resolve in our courts.
“So when I’m talking about ADR, I’m not even looking at arbitration, believe me, mediation is the way out”, he explained.
Earlier in his welcome address, chairman of ICMC in the State, Santos Larab, said, “The orientational training is forneutrals; once you are a trained neutral it means that you are a chartered member of the arbitrators, mediators and conciliators.
“As neutral you have the expertise to practice in the ADR Multi Door Court House; and the court has arbitration, conciliation and mediation rooms, so ICMC controls two doors, and in that Court is an ADR”, he explained.
“Also, the Volunteer Mediators Scheme (VMS) is an idea of ICMC national; we discussed it with GIZ, and at that discussion, they bought into the idea.
The chairman maintained that, the VMS members are well trained mediators who are willing to volunteer their time in terms of building up the ADR spectrum “from the lower to the higher courts”.
Santos equally said the idea is to reduce litigation and build up relationships.
“Whatsoever we do is to reduce rivalry, create enabling environment for businesses among others, which GIZ also falls into.
In her remarks, State Advisor GIZ, Hauwa Mankilik, said, “What we are doing is to support MSMEs improve their income and employment; and as you know, the business enabling environment is key for them to thrive on.
“Therefore, we are supporting mediation because it is part of commercial distribution, and this is why we are here basically to support the process”, she stressed.
