THE Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State, Dr. Mrs. Uju Nwogu, has said, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Ndirika Onyekwelu, will henceforth have to handle criminal matters with dispatch.
“You need to act expeditiously, justly and effectively,’’ Commissioner Nwogu gave the directive during the General Meeting of Lawyers Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), Anambra Chapter, held in her office at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex, Awka.
“The Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is a core department in the ministry, charged with directing and guiding criminal investigations and prosecution of criminal cases.
“The Ministry of Justice has established Zonal offices in Nnewi, Ogidi, Otuocha, Aguata and Onitsha, headed by the Heads of the Departments; this is aimed at bringing prosecution services closer to the people,’’ she noted.
Dr. Nwogu remarked that she had been able to acquire an e-Case File Management System from the European Union and the Rule of Law and Anti Corruption (ROLAC) to enable the department to discharge their duties effectively.
The Commissioner listed the benefits of installing the Electronic Case File Management System in the Ministry to include the following:
“It will help to determine the number of cases, the stage of cases, and duration, starting from the first day that the Police submitted any case file to the Office of the Attorney-General.
“With the use of an e-case management system, at the click of a button, all cases concerning the state Government will be accessed.’’
She, then, said that the Ministry and ROLAC were currently training Law Officers of the Ministry on applicability and proper implementation of the Administration and Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) in Anambra.
According to the Commissioner, the Law Review Committee members are currently reviewing some laws in the state including the High Court Civil Procedures Rules.
BY SUNNY A. DAVID
