MID-TERM ACHIEVEMENTS IN COMMEMMORATION OF THE 2 ND
ANNIVERSARY OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHANS ADMINISTRATION
Presented by
MR. MOHAMMED BELLO ADOKE, SAN, CFR Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice
1. INTRODUCTION
Accountability of public officers and institutions is a key component of this administrations transformation agenda. I am therefore delighted at the opportunity to give account of our stewardship at the Federal Ministry of Justice in commemoration of the 2 nd Anniversary of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathans Administration.
INTRODUCTION Let me start by expressing my deep appreciation to Almighty God for the rare privilege of serving this great country during the period under review and His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, for appointing me to this position of public trust. I also commend Mr. Labaran Maku, the Honourable Minister of Information, for providing a veritable platform for Ministers to engage with the Nigerian people on the activities of their Ministries and parastatals, and for sustaining the vibrancy of this platform, since assumption of office.
INTRODUCTION The Federal Ministry of Justice is essentially a service ministry established to provide legal support services to other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to enable them discharge their statutory functions in line with the overall policy thrust of this administration. Consequently, we have remained focused in our collective endeavours to contribute our quota to the realization of the transformation agenda of this administration and have resolutely kept faith with our vision to Make Justice accessible to all, consistent with the ideals of Democracy and Rule of Law.
PART I: CORE FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY 2. In line with our resolve to provide sound legal framework, advice and efficient service delivery to support the attainment of Governments objectives, the Ministry embarked on a number of initiatives during the period under review with the aim of ensuring the smooth functioning of government through the effective discharge of our core functions which include:
PART I: CORE FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY ensuring access to justice for all persons and the observance of the rule of law and due process by all MDAs; prosecuting crimes against the State and defending civil cases on behalf of Government; negotiating and vetting Contracts/ Agreements on behalf of MDAs in order to protect national interest;
PART I: CORE FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY rendering timely quality legal advice and ancillary services to MDAs through the pool of Legal Advisers posted to them; facilitating the early translation of Government policies into legislation through the Ministrys legal drafting function; ensuring close collaboration with stakeholders, government agencies, civil society and the international community in order to improve on justice delivery, and
PART I: CORE FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE MINISTRY advising government on its treaty obligations, in addition to other sundry services to the legal profession.
These functions are discharged through Core departments in the Ministry, the Legal Units domiciled in the various MDAs who act as representatives of the Attorney General of the Federation within their respective organizations and the liaison offices located in the six geo-political zones of the country. The Ministry also supervises the activities of the following parastatals :
Nigerian Law Reform Commission Legal Aid Council Council of Legal Education National Drug Law Enforcement Agency National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Nigerian Copyrights Commission; and Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Lagos.
3. During the period under review, the Ministry made significant improvement in its service delivery and recorded some milestones in the discharge of its mandate. Most notable of the achievements include: improvement in the prosecution of crimes and defence of civil cases; enhanced capacity building in key areas, particularly the prosecution of complex crimes (economic crimes, corruption, drug and terrorism related offences);
PART II: ACHIEVEMENTS (2011 2013)
Reduction in the number of cases farmed out to external solicitors; Reduction in the quantum of judgment debts obtained against MDAs; Institutionalization of reforms in the justice sector aimed at improving access to justice; Mainstreaming the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act;
PART II: ACHIEVEMENTS (2011 2013)
Drafting of legislation in critical areas such as the war against terror, money laundering and other economic crimes consistent with Nigerias international obligations; timely and efficient international cooperation on matters of extradition and mutual legal assistance; adoption of measures to improve on the administration of criminal justice, and initiatives to reform our Business and Investment laws.
PART II: ACHIEVEMENTS (2011 2013)
4. To engender appreciation of the progress made in the areas mentioned above, the activities of some of the Ministrys professional departments and units are discussed below in greater detail:
PART III- ELABORATION OF THE MINISTRYS ACHIEVEMENTS The major challenge with the prosecution of the crimes and the ability of Law Officers of the Ministry to effectively defend cases against the government has been a combination of lack of capacity, low morale and poor supervision. This had in the past resulted in low percentage of cases that are diligently prosecuted with adverse consequences and in respect of civil matter, the high percentage of judgment debts/arbitral awards against MDAs.
(a)Prosecution of Crimes and Defence of Cases
To stem this tide, vigorous capacity building trainings were embarked upon during the period under review. The Ministry also benefited from capacity building trainings from the J4A, the British Council, the United States Embassy, etc. These trainings impacted positively on our Law Officers to the extent that the Ministry has drastically reduced its dependence on external solicitors and enhanced its prosecutorial abilities leading to more effective prosecution of criminal cases and defence of civil matters.
The Code of Conduct for Prosecutors has been articulated to ensure that prosecutors observe the highest professional and ethical standards in the discharge of their prosecutorial duties, as well as imbibe best practices drawn from other jurisdictions to guarantee fair conduct of trials. The Guidelines for Prosecutors that is in the final stages of completion will complement the Code of Conduct for Prosecutors. Ultimately, our desire is to ensure efficient and effective prosecutions, conducted with the highest possible professional and ethical standards.
During the period under review, a total number of 75 cases of Terrorism and Boko Haram insurgency were received and prosecuted. Sixteen of the cases have been concluded with 8 convictions, while 35 were struck out. A good number of the terrorism cases were struck out because the accused persons had escaped during the attack on prisons in Bauchi and Maiduguri. The suspects will be arraigned as soon as they are apprehended. Nature of the Criminal Matters handled
In addition, a total of 244 general offences, including culpable homicide, rape, armed robbery and traffic offences, were handled. Fifteen cases have been concluded with 10 convictions, while the remaining cases are at different stages of trial, namely hearing, defence or ruling/judgment. Although, phenomenal improvements have been made in the criminal justice system, the fact remains that the workings of the justice system is still not as fast as we would desire. The absconding of some accused persons who jumped bail also frustrated many of the cases.
Nature of the Criminal Matters handled
A total of 60 petitions bordering on breach of rights of citizens, lack of action on criminal matters by the law enforcement agencies, and requests for takeover of cases from the police for lack of diligent prosecution were received. All the petitions were promptly handled and appropriate action taken to address them. In many cases, the Ministry took over prosecution of such cases. Table A below contains the summary of cases and petitions handled by the Ministry during the period under review.
Petitions
Table A: Nature of Criminal Cases and Petitions handled S/ N Type of Cases Receiv- ed In Court Convi- ctions Petiti- ons Cases Conclud -ed Cases/ Petiti- ons In Progr- ess 1. Case Files 319 47 18 - 66 219 2. Petitions 60 - - 60 - - DISPOSITION OF CIVIL CASES HANDLED
The period under review, particularly Year 2012, witnessed heightened litigations in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Courts, the National Industrial Court and the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. The Ministry received about 539 civil cases bordering on different claims which included the enforcement of Fundamental Human Rights actions relating to title to land, wrongful termination of appointments by various MDAs, Constitutional questions, contractual matters etc.
DISPOSITION OF CIVIL CASES HANDLED
The Ministry was able to conclude over 86 matters in the domestic court, while others were before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice. Most of the cases concluded were in favour of Government and the Ministry was able to save government the sum of N501, 278,765,770 (Five Hundred and One Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seventy Naira) in Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/ 03/ 11. DISPOSITION OF CIVIL CASES HANDLED
Incorporated Trustees of Miyetti Allah KautalHore Socio-cultural Association,.V. Federal Government of Nigeria. Similarly, in Registered Trustees of the Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) (Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/08/09) the Ministry was able to save the Government the sum of US$ 1 Billion (N158, 000,000,000) that would have been paid as damages. JUDGMENT DEBT The Ministry is the secretariat for the Presidential Committee on Judgment Debt Verification. The Committee which has representatives from the Presidency, the Ministry of Finance, Budget Office, Accountant General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Bar Association meets regularly under the chairmanship of the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice to verify and authorize payment of judgment debts obtained against the government. JUDGMENT DEBT During the period under review, about 89 judgment creditors were paid in accordance with the judgments verified by the Committee. As a result of the negotiations, which took place between the Committee and the various judgment creditors, which led to the reduction of interest charged by them on the judgment debt, Government was saved the sum of N 13, 360,783,169.39 (Thirteen Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty Million, One Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira, Thirty-Nine Kobo). Table B contains a summary of the civil cases handled by the Ministry:
TABLE B: NATURE OF CIVIL MATTERS HANDLED S/ N TYPES OF MATTER RECEIV ED RESOLUTION IN COURT ADR FINANCIAL VALUE IN FAVOUR OF NIGERIA PENDING NIGERI A ECOWA S CONVICTIO N N659, 278,765,770 1 LITIGATION 539 86 453 2 ARBITRATIO N 28 10 18 3 NEGOTIATIO N 20 20 4 LEGAL OPINIONS 335 335 5 DEBT JUDGEMENT 89 N13, 360,783,169.39
6 REVIEW OF CASES 490 490 (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR The period under review witnessed increased wave of terrorist activities, especially in the northern parts of the country. The Ministry was therefore confronted with the need to provide a legal framework that would not only prescribe offences and appropriate penalties for those who engage in terrorist activities, but would also provide the legal framework to coordinated response by relevant security agencies in order to fulfill governments obligation to provide security and protect the lives and properties of its people. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR In response to these exigencies, the Ministry worked assiduously in concert with relevant agencies of Government, the United Nations and our development partners to fashion out the Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011. This was the first comprehensive legal framework to deal with the menace of terrorism in the country. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR Furthermore, the nexus between money laundering and terrorist financing made it imperative for us to amend our money laundering legislation to bring it in conformity with global efforts to counter terrorist financing, as well as satisfy the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard setting body in that regard. This resulted in the Money Laundering(Prohibition) Act of 2011. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR The weaknesses identified in the Terrorism Prohibition Act of 2011 and the Money Laundering Act of 2011, led to further amendments which gave rise to the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended and Money Laundering Act of 2013. To achieve these, the Ministry worked tirelessly with other stakeholders to ensure that an appropriate legal framework for the war against terror consistent with global standards is put in place. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR It will be recalled that recently, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation relied on the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act No. 10 of 2011 as amended to seek the proscription of JAMAATU AHLIS-SUNNA LIDDAAWATI WALJIHAD and JAMAATU ANSARUL MUSLIMINA FI BILADIS SUDAN in Nigeria. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR The Federal High Court has since granted the Order, which has been published as the Terrorism (Prevention) (Proscription Order) Notice, No. 91 of 2013. The Court granted the Proscription Order which:
(a) declared the activities of the two organizations in any part of this country as terrorism and illegal; (b) proscribed the existence of the two associations in any part of Nigeria either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called, and
(B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR (c) restrained any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the proscription of the collective intention or otherwise of the said groups. (B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR This will make it possible to now apprehend and punish members of these proscribed organizations for engaging in terrorist activities, as well as confiscate any property connected to terrorist activities.
(B) LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE WAR AGAINST TERROR The Complex Casework Group set up in the Department of Public Prosecutions is currently undergoing intensive training on the prosecution of complex crimes to enable them to effectively handle the prosecution of complex crimes such as terrorism, economic crimes and corruption cases.
(C) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION International cooperation is the bedrock for concerted global action against organized crimes, which often transcend national frontiers. Nigeria as a responsible member of the international community is enjoined to provide timely international cooperation to requesting countries in line with her obligations under various international legal instruments and the principle of reciprocity. Over the years, we have had to grapple with inherent administrative and bureaucratic red tape, which often put the country in default of her international obligations in this respect.
(C) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION To address this challenge, the Central Authority Unit was established under the direct supervision of the Attorney General of the Federation during the period under review. This has resulted in specialized training and equipping of the unit for efficient and effective performance, and timely response to requests for cooperation. The Ministry is grateful to the British Council and the United States Embassy for the support they have given to strengthen the unit. (C) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Furthermore, the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters within the Commonwealth (Establishment & Enforcement) Act, LFN, 2004 which regulates the provision of assistance in criminal matters has become unsuitable for lagging behind new developments in the area of international cooperation. During the period under review, we proposed a Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2013 to bring our legislation in tandem with modern trends and best practices. (C) INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION The passage of the Bill into law will further complement the institutional changes that we have made, particularly the workable synergy with all the Competent Authorities as well as other MDAs involved in the execution of all forms of international cooperation in criminal matters to fast-track the processing of requests for mutual legal assistance (MLA). Table C below contains the summary of the requests received and the output of the Unit. TABLE C: MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE REQUESTS HANDLED
Total No. of MLA Request s No. of Requests processed and forwarded to competent authorities for execution No. of MLA requests concluded and forwarded to Requesting Countries No. of requests under process No. of MLA Request forwarded by Nigeria to other requested Countries 119 68 19 30 12 TABLE C: MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE REQUESTS HANDLED
The Extradition Act CAP. E.25, LFN 2004 that governs extradition, another form of international cooperation, is undergoing review to bring it in conformity with Nigerias treaty obligations. Unlike MLA, extradition is a process that involves the Judiciary. Consequently all requests for extradition must be filed with the Federal High Court where they undergo a full process of judicial review after which the Court determines whether or not there are cogent reasons why the suspect should not be surrendered to the requesting State. Table-D below shows the Extradition requests during the period under review.
TABLE D: EXTRADITION REQUESTS RECEIVED AND PROCESSED
Total No. of Extraditio n Requests No. of Requests concluded and fugitives surrendere d by Nigeria No. of Cases under Process awaiting arrest of fugitives by the law enforcement authorities No. of Requests pending in the Federal High Courts No. of Request s in the Court of Appeal No. of Outgoing Requests forwarded by Nigeria to Requested Countries 34 9 12 6 3 4 (D) STOLEN ASSETS RECOVERY During the period under review, the Ministry intensified its efforts to trace and repatriate Nigerias stolen assets abroad. In this connection we have maintained effective liaison and communication with targeted jurisdictions to keep pace with asset recovery proceedings in those jurisdictions. In 2011, our close liaison and negotiation with the Island of Jersey led to the recovery and repatriation of the sum of UK 22.5 Million confiscated by the Royal Court of Jersey from Raj Arjandes Bhojwani, an Indian national and associate of General Sani Abacha, on account of his money laundering transactions from Nigeria. (E) COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO FIGHT CORRUPTION The Ministry, in the discharge of its mandate as the focal Ministry under the United Nations Convention against Corruption, is in the process of finalizing a National Anti Corruption Strategy (NACS), to fight corruption in the country. While the different anti-corruption agencies have been doing a commendable job of fighting corruption in the country, Nigerias treaty obligations require her to have a National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) that is holistic and inclusive.
During the period under review, the Ministry has been working assiduously with the Inter-Agency Task Team, civil society and our development partners to articulate a Strategy with appropriate Action Plans for all the agencies involved in the war against corruption. A Draft National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) has been produced and circulated to relevant agencies and the civil society for their comments and inputs to ensure the necessary buy-in to the process. As soon as the Stakeholder Validation workshop scheduled for 18 th of July 2013 is held, the NACS will be finalized and sent to the Federal Executive Council for approval as a policy document. This is to give effect to this administrations zero tolerance for corruption and its commitment to fighting corruption in all its ramifications. The Ministry continued to improve on the discharge of this important function through the work of its Legal Drafting Department. Apart from making significant inputs to the current Constitution Review process, especially the 2 nd
and 3 rd Alteration of the Constitution, the Ministry also drafted several Executive Bills that were eventually passed into law by the National Assembly to give effect to Governments policy. For Instance in 2011, 12 Executive Bills were processed by the Ministry and passed into law by the National Assembly. (f)Translating Policy into Legislation
In 2012, out of the18 Executive Bills proposed, 10 Bills are pending consideration by the National Assembly, 7 Bills are still under the review by the Ministry of Justice, while 1 Bill is pending consideration by the Federal Executive Council. Table E and Table F below contain a Summary of the Bills processed by the Ministry of Justice.
(f)Translating Policy into Legislation
Table E- Summary of Bills Processed in 2011 S/N BILL NUMBER TITLE OF BILL INSTRUCTING AUTHORITY STATUS OF BILL 1 EVIDENCE ACT (REPEAL AND ENACTMENT) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND OTHER STAKE HOLDERS IN THE JUSTICE SECTOR PASSED 2 SB 63 NIGERIAN SOVEREIGN INVESTMENT AUTHORITY (COST ETC) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND OTHER STAKE HOLDERS PASSED 3 LEGAL AID COUNCIL BILL, 2011 LEGAL AID COUNCIL PASSED 4 FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL OF NIGERIA BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE PASSED 5 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2011 INDUSTRIAL TRAINING FUND PASSED 6 CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL OF THE FCT, ABUJA (JURISDICTION ON CHIEFTAINCY MATTERS) BILL, 2011 CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL PASSED 7 TERTIARY EDUCATION TRUST FUND (ESTABLISHMENT) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PASSED 8 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PASSED 9 SB 208 MONEY LAUNDERING (PROHIBITION) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PASSED 10 TERRORISM (PREVENTION) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PASSED 11 ELECTRORAL (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE/ INEC PASSED 12 Harmonized Retirement Age of Professors of Tertiary Institutions Bill, 2011 Federal Ministry of Education PASSED Table F -Summary of Bills Processed in 2012 S/N BILL NUMBE R TITLE OF BILL INSTRUCTING AUTHORITY STATUS OF BILL 1 BILL 732 UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2012 FEDERAL GOVERNEMENT Pending Before NASS 2 BILL 737 MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS BILL, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND OTHER STAKE HOLDERS IN THE JUSTICE SECTOR Pending Before NASS 3 BILL 738 NATIONAL TOBACCO CONTROL BILL, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH PROCESSED TO FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 4 BILL 719 Emergency Powers Bill, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE Under Review by FMOJ 5 BILL 720 Nigerian Police Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2011 THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE Pending Before NASS Table F -Summary of Bills Processed in 2012 6 722 A Bill For an Act to Amend the Nigerian Law Reform Commission Act, 2012 LAW REFORM COMMISSION Pending Before NASS 7 723 A Bill for an Act to amend the Federal High Court Act to make provision for increase in the number of Judges of the Federal High Court (from 70 to 100) FEDERAL HIGH COURT Pending Before NASS 8 A Bill For An Act To Amend The Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 And For Other Related Matters
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE PASSED 10 A Bill for An Act To Repeal Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement And Administration Act, 2003 As Amended And To Enact The Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition), Enforcement And Administrative Act To Provide Measures Against Trafficking And Smuggling Of Persons And Related Matters, 2012 NAPTIP Pending Before NASS 11 Administration of Criminal Justice Bill, 2012 FMOJ Under Review by FMOJ Table F -Summary of Bills Processed in 2012 12 Witness Protection Bill, 2012 FMOJ Under Review by FMOJ 13 Proceeds of Crimes Bill, 2012 FMOJ Under Review by FMOJ 14 A Bill For An Act To Provide For The Establishment And Incorporation Of The Nigeria Police Academy As a Degree- Awarding Institution And Other Matters Connected Therewith MINISTRY OF POLICE AFFAIRS Pending Before NASS 15 A Bill For An Act to Prohibit Chemical Weapons and Establish The National Authority For The Effective Implementation Of The Chemical Weapons Convention In Nigeria and For Other Matters Connected Therewith THE PRESIDENCY Pending Before NASS Table F -Summary of Bills Processed in 2012 16 733 A Bill for an Act to amend the Federal Universities of Agriculture Act, 2004 (Michael Okpara University of Agriculture) Umudike, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION Pending Before NASS 17 A Bill For An Act To Provide For The Establishment of A Legal, Fiscal And Regulatory Framework For The Petroleum Industry In Nigeria And For Other Related Matters, 2012 MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES Pending Before NASS 18 A Bill For An Act To Provide For The Establishment Of The Directorate For Cybercrime For The Prohibition, Prevention, Detection, Response And Prosecution Of Cybercrimes And For Other Related Matters
FEDERAL MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND ONSA Under Review by FMOJ Statutory Instruments Apart from legislation, the Ministry also processed 33 Statutory Instruments during the period under review. Out of this number, 18 have been gazetted, 13 are ready to be gazetted, while 1 is pending review by the Ministry of Interior. Table G below contains a summary of the Statutory Instruments processed by the Ministry during the period under review. Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012
S/N STATUTO RY INSTRUM ENT NUMBER TITLE INSTRUCTIN G AUTHORITY STATUS 1 S.I 909 IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY IN SOME PARTS OF THE FEDERATION. PRESIDENCY FINALIZE D 2 S.I. 960 APPOINTMENT OF LEGAL ASSESSOR TO THE DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL OF COMPUTTER PROFFESSIONALS (REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA). FINALIZE D 3 S.I/909/T PROCLAMATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY IN CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. PRESIDENCY GAZETTE D Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 4 S.I 910 IMPLEMENTATION OF PRESIDENT WAIVER & EXEMPTION OF TAXES ON ALL GOVERNMENT CORPORATE SUB-NATIONAL AND OTHER BODIES. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANACE/ FIRS FINALIZE D 5 COMPANIES AND INCOME TAX ACT LFN 2004 (COMPANIES INCOME TAX EXEMPTION) ORDER, 2012. FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANACE/ FIRS FINALIZE D 6 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION (DISTRIBUTION AND RETAIL MULTIYEAR TARIFF ORDER,2012 NERC FINALIZE D
Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 7 CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF STOCKBROKERS DISCIPLINARY TRIBUNAL (PROCEDURES) RULES 2012. NERC FINALIZ ED 8 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION (FORUM RULES) REGULATIONS, 2012. NERC FINALIZ ED 9 FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE (ESTABLISHMENT) ACT 2007. INCOME TAX (TRANSFER PRICING)REGULATIONS , 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANACE/ FIRS FINALIZ ED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 10 REQUEST FOR GAZETTE OF GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON 2012 ELECTION VIOLENCE AND CIVIL DISTURBANCES. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNME NT OF THE FEDERATIO N GAZETT ED 11 S.I 767 NATIONAL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS, 2012 FRSC FINALIZ ED 12 S.I 768 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION(METHODOLOG Y FOR ESTIMATED BILLINGS) REGULATIONS, 2012 NERC FINALIZ ED
Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 13 S.I 769 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION(METHODOLOGY FOR THE DETERMINATION OF CONNECTION CHARGES FOR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY) REGULATIONS, 2012 NERC FINALIZ ED 14 S.I 770 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION (INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS) REGULATIONS, 2012. NERC FINALIZE D 15 S.I 771 NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION (ACQUISITION OF LAND AND ACCESS RIGHTS FOR ELECTRICITY PROJECTS IN NIGERIA) REGULATIONS, 2012 NERC FINALIZE D Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 16 S.I 777 INLAND WATERWAYS AND NON-CONVENTION VESSELS SAFETY REGULATIONS, 2012, (MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 2007). NIMASA GAZETT ED 17 S.I 778 THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT 2007, (LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION ) REGULATIONS , 2012) NIMASA GAZETT ED 18 S.I 779 THE MERCHANT SHIPPING (ANTI FOULING SYSTEMS)REGUALTIONS 2012 NIMASA GAZETT ED 19 S.I 780 THE MERCHANT SHIPPING (BALLAST WATER REGUALTIONS) 2012 NIMASA GAZETT ED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 20 S.I 781 MERCHANT SHIPPING (SEA DUMPING) REGUALTIONS 2012 NIMASA GAZET TED 21 S.I 782 MERCHANT SHIPPING (PREVENTION OF POLLUTION OF GARBAGE) REGULATIONS 2012 NIMASA GAZETT ED 22 S.I 783 MERCHANT SHIPPING (PREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN PACKAGED FORM) REGULATIONS, 2012 NIMASA GAZETT ED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 23 S.I 784 MERCHANT SHIPPING (LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION) REGUALTIONS 2012 NIMASA GAZET TED 24 S.I 785 MARINE ENVIRONMENT (SEA PROTECTION LEVY) REGULATIONS, 2012 NIMASA GAZET TED 25 S.I 786 MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT 2007 (SEA DUMPING REGULATIONS, 2012). NIMASA GAZET TED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 26 S.I 787 THE MERCHANT SHIPPING (DANGEROUS AND NOXIOUS LIQUID SUBSTANCES IN BULK) REGULATIONS 2012 NIMASA GAZETTED 27 S.I 788 MERCHANT SHIPPING (PREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY GARBAGE ) REGULATIONS, 2012 NIMASA GAZETTED 28 S.I 789 PETROLEUM ACT 2004 (PREMIUM MOTOR SPIRIT (PRICE FIXING) ORDER, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES GAZETTED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 29 S.I 790 NIGERIA TAX PAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER REGULATIONS, 2012(FEDERAL INLAND REVENUE SERVICE ( ESTABLISHMENT) ACT, 2007 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANACE/ FIRS FINALIZED 30 S.I 791 WEIGHT AND MEASURES ACT 2004 ( WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (REPLACEMENT OF FIFTH SCHEDULE) ORDER, 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INVESTMENT GAZETTED 31 S.I 792 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (LEGAL METROLOGY AND RELATED SERVICES) REGULATIONS 2012 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INVESTMENT
32 S.I 793 FIRE SERVICE ACT LFN 2004 NATIONAL FIRE SERVICE CODE, 2013 MINISTRY OF INTERIOR FINALIZED Table G: Summary of Statutory Instruments Processed IN 2012 33 S,I 794 PERSONAL INCOME TAX ACT 2004 (EXEMPTION OF HOLDERS OF BONDS AND SHORT TERM GOVERNMENT SECURITIES NOTICE, 2011 FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANACE/ FIRS FINALI ZED (g) Legal Advisory Services
The Ministry has continued to render quality legal advice to MDAs in order to protect national interest. During the period under review, the Ministry through its Solicitors Department received 15 requests for legal advice, vetted 85 Contracts/Agreements, held 21 reconciliation meetings and processed 543 applications for consent to incorporate under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Table H below contains the details of the summary of the activities of the Solicitors Department.
Table H: Summary of the Activities of the Solicitors Department S/ N Nature of the applications received No. of Applicati ons received No. of Applicati ons treated No. of Approval s Granted Pending Applicati ons 1 Legal Advice to the FGN 15 15 15 - 2 Contract/Agreem ents from MDAs 85 85 85 - 3 Contracts/Agree ments between FMOJ and Contractors 21 21 21 -
Table H: Summary of the Activities of the Solicitors Department 4 Negotiation and Reconciliatory Meetings 102 102 102 - 5 Consent of the HAGF to incorporate under Part C CAMA 543 411 411 - 6 Approvals to MDAs to Engage External Solicitors and payments of their fees 249 249 249 - 7 Other Meetings and Workshops attended 78 78 78 - (h)Mainstreaming the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 The National Assembly passed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2011with the objective of promoting open government in Nigeria. Its fair application and implementation was made a strategic objective in my Strategy For the Implementation of Justice Sector Reforms in Nigeria, which was launched on 6 th August 2011. (h)Mainstreaming the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 To ensure its implementation and in fulfillment of my responsibilities under the Act, I issued an Advisory Memorandum HAGF/MDAs/FOIA/2012/1 of 28 th
January 2012 to all MDAs to sensitise them on the new regime of open government and their obligations under the Act. This was followed by series of sensitization workshops to engender understanding of the prescriptions of the Act. (h)Mainstreaming the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 In furtherance of my responsibility to ensure the implementation of the Act, I issued the Guidelines on the Implementation of the FOIA of 12 th March, 2012 to assist public institutions to interpret the Act, as well as discharge their obligations. The feedback received from the public encouraged us to embark on a further review of the Guidelines, which has been concluded and published as the Revised Guidelines on the Freedom of Information Act with the generous assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (h)Mainstreaming the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 The Ministry has also co-hosted FOI Zonal Workshops and trainings in Ekiti, Asaba and Abuja. We have also created a website, www.justice.gov.ng and dedicated contact phone lines-08182429403, 080111004929 and 08106577514 to enable the general public to engage with the Ministry on matters related to the implementation of the FOIA.
(h)Mainstreaming the Implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 During the period under review, the Ministry has submitted 3 Annual Reports (April 2011, April 2012 and April 2013) to the National Assembly on the implementation of the Act in compliance with the Attorney General of the Federations reporting obligations under the Act. The cumulative effect of these measures and efforts is to give effect to this administrations commitment to accountability and transparency in Government. (i) Compliance with Treaty Obligations The Ministry continued to discharge its function in order to enable Nigeria to comply with her obligations under various international legal instruments. The Ministry hosted the 51 st Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) and the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in Abuja during the period under review. (i) Compliance with Treaty Obligations The ministry and its parastatals have also been active in the work of the 6 th Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), United Nations Convention on Transnational Organised Crime (UNTOC) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation(WIPO).
Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements To give effect to governments resolve to create an enabling environment for the reception of foreign investments, the Ministry in collaboration with relevant MDAs are in the process of negotiating 9 Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs). These are the IPPAs with Republic of Austria, EU countries comprising Belgium, Czech, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Belarus; Canada, Japan, Vietnam, Qatar, Indonesia, Iran and Pakistan. Table H below contains a summary of the IPPAs and the various stages of negotiation.
Table I- Summary of the IPPAs Negotiated or Signed S/ N COUNTRY DATE STATUS REMARKS 1 Republic of Austria March 2013 The IPPA has been signed The IPPA was duly negotiated and signed 2 EU Countries i) Belgium ii) Czech iii) Latvia iv) Lithuania v) Croatia vi) Belarus
Negotiations are on- going With the review of the Lisbon Treaty of 2007 in 2011 which stopped EU countries from signing individual IPPAS, Nigeria was chosen as one of the countries. The member States could negotiate with individually, thus the influx of requests. 3 Canada May 2013 1 st Round negotiations concluded The 2 nd Round Negotiations will be concluded in September 2013 Table I- Summary of the IPPAs Negotiated or Signed 4 Japan May 2013 Negotiations have been reopened Japan came with the Liberalization Model which is the new model Agreement similar to the USA Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIT) and the Canadian model. They are ready to reopen negotiations with the FRN model after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) model. 5 Vietnam April 2012 Negotiations are on-going First round negotiations were concluded in 2012. Grey areas raised during the negotiations have been reviewed. 2 nd Round negotiations are being awaited. Table I- Summary of the IPPAs Negotiated or Signed 6 Qatar Marc h 2013 Drafts have been exchanged
7 Indonesia Octob er 2012 Drafts have been exchanged
8 Iran 9 Pakistan During the period under review, the Ministry also prepared 14 instruments of ratification to give effect to Nigerias multilateral and bilateral treaties/agreements. These include treaties, conventions, optional protocols under various United Nations, African Union and International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Bilateral agreements are with Austria, South Africa and Switzerland. This is in line with the Ministrys resolve to ensure timely compliance with international treaty obligations. Table I below shows the summary of the instruments prepared from 2011 to date. Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared S/ N INSTRUMENTS ORGANIZATI ON/COUNTRY DATE RATIFIED 1. Instrument of Accession to the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness International Labour Organization 16 th
September 2011 2. Instrument of Accession to the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons United Nations 16 th
September 2011 3. Instrument of Ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance United Nations 1 st December 2011 Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared 4. Instrument of Ratification of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) African Union 17 th April, 2012 5. Instrument of Ratification of the Instruments Amending the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) and the Convention of the International Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) as amended by the Plenipotentiary Conferences (Kyoto, 1994); Minneapolis, 1998), adopted by the Plenipotentiary Conferences (Marrakesh, 2002) International Telecommunications Union 28 th August, 2012 Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared 6. Instrument of Accession to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons including Diplomatic Agents, New York, 14 December, 1973 United Nations 7 th September, 2012 7. Instrument of Declaration to Article 3 (2) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict United Nations 7 th September, 2012 Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared 8. Instrument of Accession to the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism United Nations 7 th
September, 2012 9. Instrument of Ratification on the Arms, Trade Treaty United Nations 31 st May, 2013 10. Instrument of Ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 International Labour Organisation 6 th June, 2013 Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared 8. Instrument of Accession to the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism United Nations 7 th
September, 2012 9. Instrument of Ratification on the Arms, Trade Treaty United Nations 31 st May, 2013 10. Instrument of Ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 International Labour Organisation 6 th June, 2013 Table J- Summary of Instruments Prepared INSTRUMENTS ORGANIZATION DATE SIGNED 11. Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) negotiated and concluded with the Republic of Austria Austria March 2013 12. Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Republic of South Africa on cooperation in the Legal Field South Africa 7 th May, 2013 13. Readmission Agreement between Nigeria and Austria Austria 8 th June, 2012
14 Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland Switzerland 14 th February 2011 (j)Capacity Building for Effective Performance In order to improve the quality of service delivery, the Federal Ministry of Justice embarked on a very ambitious human resource development programme during the period under review. A total of 486 Law Officers and 1744 non Lawyers across the entire strata of the Ministry received training. The objective of the training was to ensure that the staff remains focused and motivated. (j)Capacity Building for Effective Performance This has greatly improved staff morale and efficiency in the discharge of their duties. Overall, the Ministry has become more responsive to the requests for legal advice and support services from the various MDAs. We commend the British High Commission and the United States Embassy for the support they have given to Ministry in this regard. The Law Reporting Department of the Ministry has also sustained the publication of the Justice Journal and the All Nigeria Law Reports. PART IV: PARASTATALS The activities of the 7 parasatals supervised by the Federal Ministry of Justice are discussed below.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Government efforts at sustaining the counter-narcotics and anti-money laundering wars in the country have been relentless in the face of ever growing sophistication of the methods employed by perpetrators. PART IV: PARASTATALS The Agency has maintained intensive and extensive coverage of all the nooks and crannies of the country despite numerous challenges in order to ensure drug supply and demand reduction in the country. In the process, the de-listing of Nigeria from the Drug Major List by the Government of the United States of American since 2009 still remains a remarkable achievement. Arrests and Seizures TABLE K: SEIZURES (KGS) FROM 2010 TO DATE 607,104.27KGS S/ N TYPES OF DRUGS QUANTITY 1. Cocaine Seizures 1,249.12 kg 2. Heroin 442,862 kg 3. Cannabis Sativa 595,303.63 kg 4. Psychotropic Substances 9,805.012 kg 5. Methamphetamines 293.638 kg TABLE L: ARRESTS AT THE SEAPORTS YEAR WEIGHT SUBSTANCE COUNTRY 2011 110 kg Cocaine Bolivia 2011 165 kg Heroin Bolivia 2012 113.49 kg Heroin Pakistan TABLE M: ARRESTS AND SEIZURES BETWEEN 2011 AND 2012 Year Cannabis Cocaine Heroin Others Total Male Female Total 2011 191,847.91 410.81 39.75 2,985,447 195,283.9 8,072 567 8,639 2012 228,794.13 131.89 211.03 4,562.585 233,699.64 7,510 542 8,052 Total 420,642.04 542.70 250.78 7,548.032 428,983.54 15,582 1,109 16,691 TABLE N: PROSECUTION RECORDS BETWEEN 2011 AND 2012 Year Convicted Acquitted Concluded Pending 2011 1,491 10 1,501 701 2012 1,720 18 1,738 660 Total 3,211 28 3,239 1,361 TABLE O: DDRD RECORD OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN 2011 AND 2012 Year Counseled Referral s Conclud ed On- Going 2011 4,162 22 4,184 191 2012 4,136 22 4,158 142 Total 8,298 44 8,342 333 LEGAL AID COUNCIL During the period under review, the Legal Aid Council provided access to justice, and legal representation in respect of criminal and civil matters. It handled the following cases: NATURE OF CASES NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED APPROVED CASES (GRANTED) COMPLETED CASES Criminal 8730 8730 4868 Civil 1912 1912 1106 PDSS (Police Duty Solicitor Scheme) 2851 2851 TABLE: P
LEGAL AID COUNCIL The Council, in collaboration with the NBA and Lawyers without Borders, completed a three-year project on the UN Convention Against Torture.
It hosted a national conference in 2012, tagged Access to Justice in a Democracy, and held a Sensitization and Awareness campaign on how to access the Councils services.
THE NIGERIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION The Commission received a total of 34 bills and legal instruments, among which are:
i. A Bill for An Act to Prohibit Electronic Fraud in All Electronic Transactions in Nigeria and for related matters, 2010
ii. A Bill for An Act to Prohibit Kidnapping, Hostage-Taking, Prescribe Punishment for its contravention and other related matters THE NIGERIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION iii. Terrorism (Prevention) Bill, 2011
iv. Motion on the Plight of Persons Awaiting Trial in Nigeria Prisons, 2012
v. The Tertiary Education Act (Amendment) Bill, 2012
vi. The Kidnapping and Hostage Taking (Prohibition) Bill, 2011
THE NIGERIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION vii. A Bill for An Act to Amend the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011
viii. A Bill for An Act to Amend the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011
ix. The Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act (Amendment) Bill, 2012
x. The Criminal Code Act ( Amendment) Bill, 2012
xi. The Cyber Security Bill, 2012
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS (NAPTIP) The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) has continued to record remarkable achievements as it discharges its mandate in line with the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crimes (UNTOC). NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS (NAPTIP) Current efforts at tackling Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Child Labour include:
Developing of a communication strategy aimed at strategic public enlightenment initiatives;
Production of story books for children on human trafficking; NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS (NAPTIP) Liaison with National Education Research Development Council to integrate human trafficking into the educational curriculum of Nigerian schools;
Launching of the I AM PRICELESS campaign in collaboration with UNODC in the framework of the EU-sponsored 10 th EDF project; NATIONAL AGENCY FOR THE PROHIBITION OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS (NAPTIP) Stakeholders meetings and community dialogues in six project states TABLE Q: SUMMARY OF CONVICTIONS: 2011- 2013 S/N 2011 2012 2013 TOTAL 1. ABUJA 1 - 1 2 2. LAGOS 8 9 3 20 3. KANO 9 4 9 22 4. UYO - 4 - 4 5. BENIN 22 2 - 24 6. SOKOTO 6 1 2 9 7. ENUGU - 1 - 1 8. MAIDUGURI 4 2 - 6 TOTAL 50 23 15 88 TABLE R: Summary of Activities NUMBER OF TRAFFICKING CASES REPORTED NUMBER OF TRAFFICKING CASES INVESTIGATED NUMBER OF TRAFFICKING CASES SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED NUMBER OF TRAFFICKING VICTIMS RESCUED NUMBER OF VICTIMS REHABILITATE D 982 982 23 179 179 NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies is Nigerias foremost institution for legal research and advanced studies in law and related disciplines. As the primary source of information, training, research and advice on legal matters in Nigeria, the Institute published 37 books during this period, and held several training programmes on different aspects of the Law. NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NIALS) Students enrolment for this period comprises 10 (LLM), 3 (Diploma), 8 (PhD) for 2010/2011; 9 (LLM), 8 (Diploma), 7 (PhD) for 2011/2012, and 14 (LLM), 11 (Diploma), 5 (PhD) for 2012/2013.
The research achievements of the Institute are presented in the tables below. TABLE S: RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010 - 2013 S/N PROJECT DURATION 1. NIALS Annotation on Banking Statutes 2010 Completed 2. NIALS Annotation on Matrimonial Causes 2010 Completed 3. Restatement of Customary Laws 2010-2013 Completed 4. Electoral Act Annotation 2010-2013 Ongoing 5. NIALS Annual Survey of Laws 2013 Completed TABLE S: RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010 - 2013 6. Traditional Administartion of Justice
7. CAMA Annotation 2012-2013 Ongoing 8. NIALS Dictionary of Customary Law 2012 Completed 9. Evidence Annotation 2011- 2013 Ongoing 10. The Effect of Cost on the Judicial System 2013 Ongoing TABLE S: RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2010 - 2013 11. Review of Yobe State Laws 2013 (9months) Ongoing 12. Traditional Administration of Justice in Nigeria 2012- 2013 (9 months) Completed 13. Nigerias Judicial Performance Evaluation 2008-2011 2012 Completed TABLE T: STUDENT ENROLMENT INTO THE AKINOLA AGUDA POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL FROM 2011 - 2013
YEAR LL.M DIPLOMA Ph.D TOTAL 2011/2012 9 8 7 2012/2013 14 11 5 Total 23 19 12 54 TABLE U: INSTITUTE COURSES/WORKSHOPS: 2011 June 2013 S/N 2011 2012 2013 Training Workshop on Nuclear, Law and Regulation; February, 2011 27 th Course in Drafting Commercial Agreement and Banking Documentation; March 2012 Specialized Judicial Track Training Programme; January2013 Drafting Commercial Agreement & Banking Documentation; Mar/April, 2011 Training Course for Public Prosecutors; April 2012 NIALS training Workshop on Restatement of Customary Law; February 2013 Training Course for Public Prosecutors; April, 2011 Training Course on Legislative Strategic Planning and Management; May 2012 Nuclear Law; February 2013 TABLE U: INSTITUTE COURSES/WORKSHOPS: 2011 June 2013 International Training Course on Digital Forensic Advocacy; April, 2011 Legal Writing Skills for Layers; May 2012 27 th Course in Drafting Commercial Agreement and Banking Documentation; February/March 2013 Training Course of Legal Writing Skills for Lawyers; May, 2011 African Regional Course for Government Legal Advisers/ Law Officers; May 2012 Training Course for Public Prosecutors; March 2013 Government Legal Advisers/Law Officers Course; May/June, 2011 International Conference on Oil and Gas Contract and Dispute Resolution; May 2012 NIALS/Nigerian Navy Training Course on Military Law; March 2013 TABLE U: INSTITUTE COURSES/WORKSHOPS: 2011 June 2013 32 nd National Advanced Course in Practice and Procedure; November Specialised Trailor-made for State Counsels in the Federal Ministry of Justice; December 2012 TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 S/NO 2011 2012 2013 1. NIALS Journal of Environmental Law; Olanrewaju Fagbonhun PHD (2011) The Supreme Court of Nigeria: 1990- 2012 ;Prof. Epiphany Azinge & Prof Paul Idornigie 2012
Legal Regime of Free Trade Zone; Prof. Epiphany Azinge& Stella- Maris Omo 2013 TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 2. New frontiers Lecture: The Future of Administrative Law and Good Governance in Nigeria; Prof. Lorne Sossin (2011 Legal Pluralism in Africa: A compendium on African Customary Law Prof. Epiphany Azinge& Prof Animi Awah 2012
State of Emergency in Nigeria: Law and Politics ; Prof. Epiphany Azinge 2013 TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 3. Administration of Justice and Good Governance in Nigeria; Prof. Epiphany Azinge and Prof. D. Adekunle (2011) Fundamentals of Legislative Drafting Prof Epiphany Azinge& Vivian Madu 2012
Legislating For Good Governance Prof Epiphany Azinge&Adej okeAdediran 2013
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 4 NIALS Journal Of Supreme Court Review ;Prof. Epiphany Azinge (2011) Nigerias Legislative Process Prof Epiphany Azinge& Suzie Ofunai 2012
Code of Good Governance Prof Epiphany Azinge&AdejokeAde diran 2013
5 The Lawyer That We Should Be: Time to provide the legal profession in Nigeria Oba Nsugbe, QC, SAN FRSA (2011) Drafting Legislation in Nigeria: Constitutional Imperatives Prof Epiphany Azinge&NgoziNdombana 2012
Freedom of Protest Prof Epiphany Azinge& Lillian Uche 2013
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 6. Nigerian major Land Reform and Adaptive Strategies of Harnessing its Social Justice Objectives. Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike (2011) Political Financing and Expenditure Ceiling for 2011 Election Prof Epiphany Azinge 2012
NIALS Dictionary of African Customary Law Prof Epiphany Azinge & Oluchi Nwakaego 2013
7. State of the Federation Lecture: To Have and to Have Not: Corruption, Social Justice and Transformation in Contemporary Nigeria. Humphrey Assisi Asobie (2011) Plea Bargain in Nigeria: Law and Practice Prof Epiphany Azinge& Laura Ani 2012
Nigeria: A Century of Constitutional Evolution 1914 2014 Prof Epiphany Azinge 2013
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 8 Proceeds of crime in Nigeria: Getting our Act Right Adedeji Adekunle (2011) Competition Law and Policy in Nigeria Prof. Epiphany Azinge& Laura Ani 2012
9 State of the Legal profession in Nigeria Akinlolu Olujinmi (2011) Freedom of Information Law and Regulation in Nigeria Prof Epiphany Azinge & Dr. Fatima WaziriAzi 2012
Legislative Drafting and Transformative Laws Prof Epiphany Azinge&AdejokeAd ediran 2013
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 10 The Right of Life under the Nigerian Constitution; the Law, the courts and the Reality Prof. J. Nnamdi Aduba (2011) Book of Communiques 2012 Prof Epiphany Azinge 2012
Law of Domestic Violence in Nigeria Prof Epiphany Azinge & Lillian Uche 2013
11 NIALS Laws of Nigeria (Annotated) Matrimonial Causes Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN (2011) Deregulation Law, Economics and Politics Prof Epiphany Azinge& Prof Bolaji Owasanoye 2012
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 12 NIALS Laws of Nigeria (Annotated) Banking statutes Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN (2011) Principles of Negotiation and Mediation Prof. Epiphany Azinge & Dr .Chinyere Ani 2012
13 NIALS Journal of Law and Development Prof. E. Azinge, Prof. N. Aduba Prof. M. Ikhiariale, Prof. A. Atsenuwa, Prof. D. Poopula (2011) Judicial Reform and Transformation Agenda Prof Epiphany Azinge& Prof Dakas CJ Dakas 2012
14 Law and Security in Nigeria Prof. E. Azinge, Fati Bello (2011) NIALS Journal of Environmental Law Vol 1&2 Prof Lanre Fagbohun 2012
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 15 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Prof. E. Azinge and Dr.ChinyereAni (2011) NALS Journal on Health Law and Policy Prof Epiphany Azinge & Dr. NkoliAniekwu 2012
16 NIALS Journal of Criminal Law and Justice Prof Epiphany Azinge 2011
NIALS Journal on Law and Public Policy Prof Epiphany Azinge & Dr. AdebisiArewa 2012
17 NIALS Journal on Business Law Prof. Epiphany Azinge& Prof Paul Idornigie 2012
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 18 NIALS Journal of Law and Development Prof Epiphany Azinge 2012
19 NIALS International Journal on Legislative Drafting Prof Epiphany Azinge 2012
20 NIALS Journal of Maritime Law Prof Epiphany Azinge 2012
TABLE V: INSTITUTE PUBLICATIONS: 2011 JUNE 2013 21 Cabotage Law Prof Epiphany Azinge &OsatoEruaga 2012
22 Justice, Security and Womens Helath: A Global Perspective Prof SussaneKarstedt 2012
COUNCIL FOR LEGAL EDUCATION (NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL) Two new campuses came on board the Nigeria Law School during this period, and are located in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, and Yola, Adamawa State.
They are expected to take in 1, 500 students each from the 2013/2014 academic session, leading to an increase in the overall intake of students by the School to 8,000. With this development, the School can absorb all graduating students from approved Law faculties. COUNCIL FOR LEGAL EDUCATION (NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL) The School has undertaken a number of projects geared towards providing conducive environment for students. These projects include:
Water treatment and reticulation in Enugu Campus;
Drilling of borehole and reticulation of plumbing fixtures in Kano Campus;
Provision of Library books and periodicals in Yenagoa and Yola campuses.
COUNCIL FOR LEGAL EDUCATION (NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL) The Council has constituted a committee to review the LL.B curriculum in faculties of Law in Nigeria to meet the current needs of the country. It has also cleared a backlog of close to 10,000 students, which arose from over-admission by some universities. In all, 4,532 lawyers were called to Bar in 2011/2012. NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT COMMISSION The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) established in August 1989, has continued to carry out its statutory mandate of administering, protecting, promoting, enforcing and regulating copyright in Nigeria.
Summary of Proactive Enforcement Interventions The Commission has in the course of its proactive enforcement and prosecutorial interventions, recorded the following achievements Summary of Proactive Enforcement Interventions Total number of covert anti-piracy surveillance- 150
Total number of antipiracy raids - 117
Total number of suspected pirates arrested - 267
Total number of units of assorted pirated - 4,561,813 copyright works seized
Summary of Proactive Enforcement Interventions Estimated market value of pirated works seized -N4,806,744,500
Total number of pirated works destroyed - 722 million
Estimated market value of destroyed works - N6.5billion
Total number of containers of pirated works seized -16 Summary of Proactive Enforcement Interventions Drastic reduction in the level of piracy, resulting in about 50% increase in the profit margin of certain genuine investors in the copyright-based industries, creation of employment and boost in tax earning of government from the industry practitioners
Favourable perception of Nigeria in the global fight against copyright piracy. TABLE W: CONVICTIONS BY THE COMMISSION FROM 2011 - 2013 2011 3
2012 26
2013 11
Total 40
Note About 25% of the convictions were prison sentences without the option of fine.
Promoting copyright knowledge
Trained 50 legal practitioners on copyright practice
Trained 60 members of the press on the basics of copyright
Conducted copyright sensitization workshop for 800 secondary school students in Abuja. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I would like to express my Ministrys gratitude to His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, for the immeasurable support and encouragement we have received. Let me also seize this opportunity to also appreciate the vital role of the media in publicizing the activities of the Ministry and its parastatals. This has continued to raise public awareness of the concept and practice of the Rule of Law and all its precepts, as well as the role of the Ministry of Justice in ensuring that government and the entire citizenry respect and observe the Rule of Law.