Delta stakeholders decry lack of funds for criminal justice
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 Delta State.
ACJMC was inaugurated 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 state capital.
They appealed to the state government to release budgets for the effective implementation of ACJL in the state.
Speaking at the town hall meeting, various stakeholders in the state lamented non-compliance/implementation of ACJL occasioned by lack of funding in the state.
The Executive Secretary of ACJMC, Patrick Osisioma, lamented that the committee was unable to carry out its mandates due to a lack of funds.
He said, “Though there is an 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, N100m was budgeted for the committee, in 2024, another N100m was also budgeted but was not released to date. The same amount was also budgeted in the 2025 budget.”
On her part, a senior legal officer of the Corrections, Paulina Egbon, lamented the continued congestion of correctional facilities, noting that about 250 capacity facilities built under the colonial era were accommodating about N1,500 inmates.
She also lamented the shortage of vehicles in conveying the inmates to court.
Also speaking, the Director of Public Prosecution, Anthony Ororhoro, emphasised the need for virtual hearings in all the high courts in the state to boost speedy trial of criminal cases, which on the long run would help to decongest custodian centres.
Speaking further, the Programme Manager of Cleen Foundation, Theresa Okoro and the Workshop Facilitator, Ebere Mbaegbu, said the programme was to strengthen the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state.
