Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) Weekly Subject Experts’ Presentation was held at Hall C, TY Buratai Block, Abuja. There were two presentations made by the Subject Experts on West Africa, Gulf of Guinea and Central America.
The first presentation by Maj Gen OO Adeleke (Rtd) subject expert on West Africa and Gulf of Guinea centered his presentation on how Ivory Coast Seizes 100 Tons Of Cocoa At The Border With Guinea. On Friday 16 Feb 2024 the Ivory Coast’s Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) managing director said the regulator has helped the national police to seize three trucks loaded with 1,500 bags of cocoa beans on the border with Guinea. The CCC regulator said “collaboration with security forces resulted in last week’s seizure of 100 tons of cocoa”.
In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria, Gen OO Adeleke (Rtd) pointed out that the Federal Government of Nigeria has uncovered 32 routes through which food items are smuggled out of the country. However, hoarding and smuggling have been identified as factors worsening the hardship in the land as they fuel increase in cost of commodities. The Vice President, Kashim Shetima said, “Just few nights ago, 45 trucks of maize were caught being transported to neighboring countries.”
He recommended that the FGN should immediately fortify Nigeria’s borders through implementation of comprehensive measures like physical barriers and technological surveillance systems, to effectively monitor and control border movements, also the FGN should establish a well-equipped border security force to deal with the myriad of the nation’s security problems.
Similarly, the second presentation by Brig Gen ED Idimah Subject Experts on Central America, discussed on how Belize Launches the Pace Justice Project to Reduce Case Backlog in Criminal Justice Systems. Belize on 21 February 2024 launched the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Justice Project with funding from the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The project is aimed at reducing criminal case backlogs and improving justice reform in the Caribbean. The project will focus on deploying technology, empowering stakeholders, and strengthening processes within the justice sector.
In his analysis and lessons for Nigeria, Brig Gen Idimah noted that, Belize’s launch of the PACE Project serves as a valuable example for countries like Nigeria seeking to improve their justice systems. By implementing legislative changes, strengthening institutions, promoting transparency and accountability, investing in training and capacity building, improving access to justice, utilizing technology, and raising public awareness, countries can enhance their justice systems and reduce case backlogs. These reforms have implications for national security as they contribute to social stability, trust in the government, and the prevention of crime.
He recommended that the Nigerian judiciary should prioritize the adoption of technology in the justice system to streamline processes, reduce case backlogs, and improve efficiency. FGN should demonstrate a long-time commitment to justice reform by setting clear timelines and goals for capacity-building and institutional strengthening efforts, also the Nigerian judiciary should prioritize transparency, accountability, and public awareness initiatives to build trust and credibility in the judicial system.
