By Shedrack Frank
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has faulted the hearing of arbitrations for the contracts entered by the Federal Government with International Organizations in the United Kingdom.
Jonathan made case for the hosting of such arbitration sessions within Nigeria.
The former president advocated the position on Saturday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, during a launch of the book titled “Arbitration and Dispute Resolution in Nigeria”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the book is written by King Collins Daniel, the Traditional Ruler Abureni Kingdom, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
He also charged the bodies responsible for arbitration or resolving disputes in the country to work hard to ensure arbitration for the government contracts are done in the country for proper understanding.
Jonathan explained that resolving disputes outside the court room is short, less expensive and makes people more bound to the terms morally.
According to him: “Let me use this unique opportunity to charge the bodies in this country that are responsible for either arbitration or resolving issues to work hard to ensure that arbitrations are done in Nigeria.
“Because all the contracts the Nigeria government entered with international organisations, arbitrations are always done in the United Kingdom. Can’t we do some of these arbitrations in Nigeria?
“I don’t know why it must be the United Kingdom, why it must be outside Nigeria, I think we need to work hard, so that some of these things will be done here in Nigeria.
“As non lawyers, we look at issues of resolving disputes in two different ways, one that takes place in the courtroom and one that takes place outside the courtroom.
“We think that society is so complex, going to court for judges to settle our disputes solved all our problems because judges decide based on the facts presented to them, that is why people still get back home and start fighting.
“More especially issues like land cases and Chieftaincy cases, so I believe solving disputes outside the courtroom will be a better and shorter way than going through court processes,” he said.
The author of the book and Olila-Ebhugh of Abureni kingdom, King Daniel, said he used his experience as a legal practitioner, law teacher and a traditional ruler to write the book, to help the society on how to resolve issues properly and permanently.
According to him, dispute resolution is a key because in every society, there is bound to be dispute and the way the dispute is resolved to the satisfaction of every party brings lasting peace in the society.
King Charles Owaba, the Paramount Ruler of Ogbia Kingdom, said that the traditional institution was the fundamental arbitration and dispute resolution system in Nigeria.
He commended the author for putting pen and book together to come up with such work, to settle disputes without the court.
