16th November, 2020
By Glory Abuh-Adejoh
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on Monday reiterated his administration’s commitment to the rule of law.
The governor said this while declaring open the third edition of the “Rule of Law Development Foundation (ROLDF)’’ annual Conference in Abuja.
The theme of the conference was “Updates and Developments within the Last 12 Months on Criminal Law, Criminal Justice, Procedure and Evidence in Nigeria”.
Wike expressed the hope that resolutions from the conference would strengthen rule of law in the criminal justice delivery system.
“This conference will be required to identify and formulate the reforms that are needed to reposition our criminal justice system to serve the interest of our people, particularly their security, welfare and preservation of their civil liberties.
“Given that criminal justice system is inextricably linked with the security, peace and order of the state, there is the need for critical stakeholders in the criminal justice sector to rethink the system through reform designed to address current challenges.
“It is our fervent hope that this conference will identify current challenges in the criminal justice sector and formulate solutions to address them,’’ he said.
He urged the panelists and delegates to take advantage of the conference to not only propose laws in the criminal justice system but to actualise the delivery of the proposed laws.
According to the governor, the criminal justice system is in two-fold, first to guarantee the preservation of public security, order, peace and health of society.
“Secondly, the system ensured that every person who committed an infraction of the law must be made to account for his conduct.
“A criminal justice system where the guilty is not allowed to escape punishment nor the innocent punished unjustly.
“Therefore, the criminal justice system within the context of the rule of law means that the institutions created by law for the administration of justice, law enforcement and correction/reformation of offenders such as the police, courts and correctional service must operate within the confines of the law.’’