The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has asked the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) to tailor its activities toward addressing the challenge of prison congestion and rights violation in furtherance of the Federal Government’s objective of deepening access to justice for the poor.
Fagbemi said the Legal Aid Council serves as the moral compass of the nation’s justice delivery system, noting that in a society where economic disparities can hinder the assertion of basic rights, it was the duty of LACON to ensure that poverty is never a bar to justice.
The AGF spoke in Abuja on Wednesday while inaugurating the governing board of the LACON, led by the immediate past Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Suleiman Durosinlorun Kawu (retired).
Fagbemi charged the board to provide strong policy direction so that the LACON’s management could aggressively deploy operational mechanisms-including the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme (PDSS) and the Court Duty Solicitors Scheme (CDSS)-to reduce detention facility congestion, clear court dockets, and safeguard fundamental human rights at early contact points.
He noted that LACON’s mandate ‘is directly central to the legal reform agenda of the Federal Ministry of Justice and the priority areas of the President.
The AGF said, ‘Access to justice is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for national security, public trust, and socio-economic harmony. The Ministry remains fully committed to supporting the Council through policy coordination, inter-agency advocacy, and institutional strengthening.’
Fagbemi advised the board members to familiarise themselves with extant regulations and circulars, as issued by the Offices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Head of Civil Service of the Federation on the relationship between a supervising Ministry, Governing Board and Management of a Parastatal, in order to avoid conflict.
He added, ‘I must emphasise that your role is strategic oversight and policy direction, and not administration.
‘Your oversight functions are limited to adopting policy measures to support the mandates of the council and ensure their activities are pursued with efficiency, in order to achieve maximum impact.
‘Please note that the Board is not to descend into or interfere with the day-to-day management of the Council.
‘Your tenure will ultimately be measured by the strength of the strategic policies you institute, the institutional credibility you build, and the lives you touch.
‘You can count on my support and continued engagement to ensure that we achieve a justice system that is accessible to all irrespective of financial status,’ Fagbemi said.
Responding on behalf of the other board members, Kawu commended President Bola Tinubu for honouring them with the task to serve the country, assuring, ‘We will work assiduously to justify the confidence reposed in us. The board shall work to extend access to justice.’
He said members of the board plan to meet on Thursday, following which they will interface with the management of the organisation to strategise on how to address the tasks ahead.
Justice Kawu said, ‘We have six zonal offices and 36 state offices. Our plan is to examine the possibility of extending legal aid services to all the 774 local government areas, including all the development areas.
‘It will require more resources, recruitment of staff, of lawyers and collaborating with other stakeholders to get pro bono services, especially in rural areas.
‘We have a lot of people unrepresented. We have a lot of people in police cells without anybody knowing what is happening to them.
‘We intend to go to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to find out exactly what is happening, who has run foul of the law and how we can assist them,’ he said.
On the issue of funding, Justice Kawu noted that both the federal and state governments are required to fund the organisation, but that they plan to work with all stakeholders to ensure that there are adequate funds to carry out the tasks ahead.