Heads of various agencies under the Ministry of Justice have signed a performance bond with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The agencies under the ministry include 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.
Other agencies involved 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 others.
In November 2023, ministers, presidential aides, and permanent secretaries also signed a performance bond with the president. This bond is meant to act as a scorecard for implementing the Ministerial Deliverables and other Government Programs and Policies.
They were asked to pass on the gestures to Agencies/Parastatals under their supervision.
During the event on Wednesday, Fagbemi mentioned that the bond would be used to assess their performance.
The AGF emphasized the importance of high performance from all agency heads, in accordance with their 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.”
Fagbemi pointed out that the Justice Sector Plan includes 15 Ministerial Deliverables, 49 Key Performance Indicators, Baselines, and Targets.
He mentioned that he had assigned roles to heads of agencies in relation to this.
“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 encouraged the heads of the agencies to take on initiatives that would enhance public service delivery strategies in 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.”
The Permanent Secretary and the Solicitor General of the Federation, Beatrice Jedy-Agba, reassured the agencies that the ministry would offer the necessary support to overcome their challenges and weaknesses.
Jedy-Agba said, ” I would like to assure you that the Honourable Minister and I will critically study your presentations to address your Weaknesses and Threats and provide the necessary support for harnessing your Strengths and Opportunities to enhance your abilities to deliver on your various mandates.
