Lagos Resolves N1.352bn Debt through Free Legal Services in One Year
The Lagos State Government, has said that from the free legal services provided through its Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC), it is has been able to resolve N1.352bn debt, in just one year.
The Lagos State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, disclosed this last Thursday at the Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, as part of the activities marking the third year anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration.
Kazeem noted that through the CMC, the State Government received a total number of 47,292 new cases free of charge, out of which 25,191 were resolved, with others at various stages of resolution.
The total value of settlement of debt related matters achieved by the Centre during the period under review, from May, 2017 to April, 2018, as settlement between parties was N1,352,745,391”, the Attorney- General said, among other achievements by the State Government in the justice sector.
The Attorney-General summarised the major feats of his Ministry within the past year, as provision of Legal Services, Law and Order Initiatives, and Legislative Initiatives/Law Reforms.
While reeling out activities of the Agencies under the Ministry in the last one year, the Attorney-General said that the State Government received and treated a total number of 11,451 cases through the Special Task Force Against Land Grabbers, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), and the Special Offences (Mobile) Court in the last one year.
He said the Government also received 316 inquiries, through the recently unveiled first stateowned DNA and Forensic Centre, with 71 active cases currently ongoing bordering on homicide, rape, toxicology, child trafficking, serology, among others.
According to Kazeem, the Anti-Land Grabbers Task Force, designed by the present administration, to fight the menace of forceful take-over of properties, received 1300 petitions out of which 855 were concluded, and 530 currently at various stages of resolution.
“In the period under review, over 35 arrests of suspected notorious land grabbers were effected, while 26 criminal prosecution cases against suspected land grabbers are presently ongoing”, the Attorney-General said.
Besides, the Attorney-General said, in a bid to enhance due diligence in property transactions, the State Government introduced the Real Estate Electronic Litigation Database, designed for the provision of access to information primarily on properties which are subject of litigation, adding that since its launch, the portal has recorded over 1,000,000 hits, and over 10,000 consistent users from Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and others.
He recalled that since its inception, the DSVRT had galvanised strategic action and responded appropriately to formal and informal reporting of incidents of rape, defilement, domestic violence, child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment, in the State, through the active support of the Governor and other partners.
“The Ministry has noted an increase in the report of domestic abuse, against men. To date, the DSVRT has received a total number of 131 cases in this regard. Overall, a total number of 1771 cases were reported during the period under review. The team also provided free medical services and psycho-social therapy, for over 700 survivors of domestic/ sexual violence, conducted capacity building trainings with 220 police officers across the State, and successfully secured the convictions of seven perpetrators”, he said.
Speaking on Hotel and Restaurant Consumption (Fiscalisation) Regulations 2018, Kazeem clarified that it was neither a new law nor an additional tax, but a regulation aimed at ensuring that Government gets its due revenue.
“It is a regulation, and not a new law. It was made pursuant to an existing law that was already in operation. What this regulation essentially seeks to do, is to allow the Government to put certain equipment in the restaurant and hospitality organisations, to properly monitor the revenue that is coming, so we can know what exactly is due to the State Government.
“It is not an additional tax; it is just to enhance transparency in collection of taxes that are due to the State. So, I want to clarify that carefully”, Kazeem said.
On other high profile cases, he said it was gratifying to report that the cases were progressing in court, saying the Synagogue Church case for instance, on the collapsed building which killed people was progressing well, adding that a no case submission filed by the accused persons instead of defending the case, was recently dismissed by the Court, while the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King who is presently on death row facing a death sentence imposed by the court, will have his fate determined in due course.