From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
In its effort to ensure that Kaduna state residents resort to mediation as means of settling matters out of court, the Legal Aid Council (LACON) has trained a total of 5,249 persons on legal rights and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the state as at September 2014.
The Director-General of the Council, Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, who briefed reporters in Kaduna yesterday explained that the beneficiaries included district and village heads, women and youth as well as key staff of local government councils.
According to her, the group has continued to provide free legal services to clients across the state, with funding from the Japanese Social Development Bank and the World Bank in collaboration with some affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations and its legal centres.
“Sensitization and advocacy also took place by road shows in the three senatorial zones and radio and television programmes were also used and over 800,000 people have been reached through this method.
“These groups have used direct engagement with residents of local communities through dance and drama and we are proud to report that more than 3,000 people have been reached through these awareness campaigns.
“The centres have given service to more than 500 people in the year 2014, compared to 331 people in 2013 and 104 people in 2012.
“Most of the trained residents of Kaduna state are enthusiastic to sustain the project when it ends” Bob-Manuel said.
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