Some new Fellows of the Institute of chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC) have pledged to deploy their new mediation skills towards conflict resolution.
They said the Fellowship skills had better equipped them to intervene in and provide solutions to the many conflicts bedeviling the society.
The lawyers were among those conferred with the ICMC Fellowship at recent ceremony at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Earlier, ICMC President, High Chief Emeka Obegolu, urged the fellows to place service to humanity above personal gains.
He encouraged them to work closely with the institute to horn their skills and make maximum benefit of their training.
The new Fellows include: Prof. Dakas CJ Dakas (SAN), Amb. Amaka Okoro, Former Second Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Steve Abar, Theodore Mayaki, Chijioke Oham Emeka, Adaobi Edozie, Basil Aguigwo, former Chairman NBA Aguata branch Clifford Iloegbune-Okoye, Mrs Efe Etomi, Danladi Kifasi, Abimbola Kayode, Chinedu Obienu and so on.
Abar, a member Plateau State Judicial Service Commission, described the experience “as most rewarding.”
He added: “The training practically affects every aspect of human and national life, in fact mediation is life.”
For Mr. Theodore Mayaki, the Fellowship was a profound honour, solemn invitation to leadership.
He said: “It’s a call for direction and change in the way things are being done and I feel quite privileged to be among the very few that have been chosen as the Fellows of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators.
“It is a new paradigm in dealing with disputes resolution in the country. I feel highly honoured.
Mayaki noted that Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) is an emerging phenomenon and “the benefits of ADR in Nigeria is yet to be fully appreciated by the litigants.
“I am sure that in so doing you will find out that a majority of the cases currently pending before our courts could be disposed otherwise than through litigation.
“It is my strong conviction that that opportunity being given as Fellows of this Institute would turn around the table and rid our courts of the congestion of cases.”
According to him, mediation is a “very rare window of a win-win situation, where you will have parties shake hands at the end of the day and walk away very happy.”
He added: “This is particularly so because the instrument of disputes resolution through ADR can be deployed even into families, even into relationships, even into offices, it so diverse to be employed in every sphere of human endeavour to ensure limited brushes, breaches and give the potential disputants the opportunity to embrace themselves at the end of the day.
“So mediation and conciliation couldn’t have come at a better time than now. The thrust, therefore, is for those of us who have been conferred with this coveted honour of Fellowship to put our heads together to deploy even on a pro bono basis, services to all the needed areas with a view to ensure that we restore the needed peace, tranquility and needed harmony in the country and pave the way for the much needed development that our nation has much awaited for.”
Another Fellow, Etomi, praised the ICMC for bringing mediation to the forefront in Nigeria.
She said: “The need for mediation and conciliation has never been more pronounced. Our courts are being congested more than ever because the personnel and resources available to the courts to determine cases are limited.
“The judiciary is having difficulties adapting and funding technologies that would assist it in resolving these disputes. The effect in most cases is delayed justice. By the time most cases are determined, the commercial value of the subject matter would have been destroyed.
“From my experience as a legal practitioner, many cases have no business being in the court. Parties can settle these matters through mediation and conciliation. This will maintain relationships, reduce cost, avoid unnecessary litigation, decongest court dockets and would hopefully lead to a more peaceful society.
“One of the issues with disputes resolution in Nigeria is the combative nature of lawyers and litigants alike. There is too much emphasis on litigation when mediation can easily resolve problems. This attitude has spilled over to arbitration.
“Given the nature of mediation, it is very difficult for lawyers to ‘corrupt’ the process with legalese and the adversary posture inherent in litigation and now arbitration.”
According to her, Institutes such as the ICMC are very important in driving the process of dispute resolution without rancour and in creating a culture of mediation and conciliation.
Etomi added: “There are so many conflicts in Nigeria today. The institute and other organisations must fashion out a blue print to assist the government in using mediation to resolve these conflicts and sensitising people on the importance of settling differences with peaceful negotiations and mediation.”
For mediation, peace and vocational training initiative president, Amb. Okoro, the Fellowship was a “professional crown” with which he will contribute to peace building in the country.
She said: “With the acquired mediation skills, I will concentrate on training and retraining Nigerians with the skills. As a hero in peace building I will encourage Nigerian women to stand up for peace by getting trained with mediation skills.
“The benefits are huge, because when women are involved in peace building, they will use the skills acquired to prevent and manage conflicts. They will also use the skills to resolve some long existing conflicts, rebuild and sustain relationships for peaceful co-existence.
“When women are in peace building, they will use their inherent qualities to prevent their husbands, sons, brothers and uncles from going to war, because when women lose their husbands and sons in the war field, they are left with families and extended families’ burden to handle alone and the result is that they will go to the grave early leaving the children as orphans with ills and crimes everywhere.
“I will use the skills for peace education, peace networking, peace sensitisation and peace evangelism.
Iloegbune-Okoye noted the overwhelming need for alternative dispute resolution mechanism “in view of the huge cost of conventional litigation and the consequential side effects.
“Arbitration, mediation and conciliation as the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms have the effect of win-win situation in dispute management as most often, it is the disputants themselves that proffer solution which inevitably binds them.
“The introduction and codification of Multdoor Court Rules in most States of the Federation is an added advantage and a greater achievements recorded in bringing about crisis-free society.
“It is my desire that our Electoral Act shall in due course expressly provide for alternative dispute resolution of intra party disputes particularly issues arising from party primaries so that the acrimonious situations which often lead to breakout will reduced.”
