Leaders from various agencies overseen by the Ministry of Justice have entered into a performance agreement with Lateef Fagbemi, who serves as both the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Among the agencies under the ministry’s jurisdiction are the National Human Rights Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Study, the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the Nigeria Law Reform Commission, and the Nigeria Copyright Commission.
Also falling under this ambit are the Council for Legal Education, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons, and the Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, among several others.
The signing of a performance bond in November 2023 by ministers, presidential aides, and permanent secretaries, in collaboration with the president, aims to provide a measurable benchmark for the implementation of Ministerial Deliverables and governmental policies.
However, they were tasked with cascading these actions down to the agencies and parastatals under their purview.
Addressing attendees at the event on Wednesday, Fagbemi emphasized that the bond would function as a benchmark for assessing their performance.
The Attorney General of the Federation remarked that he anticipates a high standard of performance from all agency heads, aligned with their declared commitments.
Fagbemi said, “I must state that I will hold every Head of Agency to the highest standard of performance in line with the declarations you have made today. It is therefore imperative that you cascade the contents of your presentation to all levels of leadership in your agencies to ensure performance on the job and a clear understanding of your mandates under the performance bond.”
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Fagbemi noted that the Justice Sector Plan contains 15 Ministerial Deliverables; 49 Key Performance Indicators; BBaselinesand Targets.
He noted that he had assigned roles to heads of agencies in that regard.
“You may therefore recall that at the retreat in January 2024, I had directed that Heads of Agencies set up internal Committees to carry out the following responsibilities: Peruse the Ministerial deliverables to discover your role in ensuring optimal performance of the Presidential priorities (Sector Plan 2023-2027). Draw up the 2024 work plan from the initiatives captured in your Strategic Plan, ” he added.
However, he urged the heads of the agencies to initiate efforts aimed at enhancing public service delivery strategies within the justice sector.
Fagbemi said, “It is undoubted that the justice sector is key towards ensuring socio-economic development of the nation, through improved access to justice. Access to justice in this regard calls for synergy between MDAs in ensuring legal protection, legal awareness, legal aid and counsel, adjudication, enforcement, and supporting sustainable peace and security through effective alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.”
In a reassuring statement, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General of the Federation, affirmed the ministry’s commitment to providing the agencies with the necessary support to address their threats and weaknesses.
Jedy-Agba stated that he would like to assure them that the Honourable Minister and he would critically study their presentations to address their weaknesses and threats and provide the necessary support for harnessing their strengths and opportunities to enhance their abilities to deliver on their various mandates.