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The Delta State Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee has decried the non-release of the administration of criminal justice law budgets for the past two years in the state.
ACJMC was unveiled two years ago by the Delta State Government with mandates to monitor compliance and implementation of the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice law of Delta State as amended in 2022.
This was disclosed at a town hall meeting organised by Cleen Foundation on Thursday in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
They appealed to the Delta State Government to release budgets for the effective implementation of ACJL in the state.
Speaking at the town hall meeting, various stakeholders in the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state lamented non-compliance/implementation of ACJL occasioned by lack of funding in the state.
The Executive Secretary ACJMC, Mr Patrick Osisioma said, “Though there is budget allocation to the committee in the budget but has not been released for the committee to function effectively even after several memos to the appropriate quarters.
“In 2023, N100 million was budgeted for the committee, in 2024, N100, million was also budgeted, but was not released to date. The same amount was also budgeted in the 2025 budget.”
On her part, the representative of correctional services, Senior Legal Officer Paulina Egbon lamented the continued congestion of correctional facilities, noting that about 250 capacity facilities built during the colonial era are still accommodating about N1,500 inmates.
She said that the approved amount to feed each inmate had been increased from N750 to N1,150 per day in recent times, decried the shortage of vehicles in conveying the inmates to court.
Also speaking, the Director of DPP, Mr. Anthony Ororhoro, emphasised the need for a virtual hearing in all the high courts in the state to boost speedy trial of criminal cases, which in the long run will help to decongest custodian centres
Speaking further, the Program Manager of Cleen Foundation. Mrs. Theresa Okoro and the Workshop Facilitator Mr. Ebere Mbaegbu, said that the town hall was to strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state.
They stated that Delta was slow in the complaince and implementation of ACJL among others state despite being among the first state that domesticated ACJL in Nigeria.
