By Adesikeola Ajiboye
The department of Civil Litigation of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice, Ilorin, recently hosted a round table in-house training for state counsels with the aim of enhancing their skills and knowledge in litigation
The event, which was held at the conference room of the Secretary to the State government, featured esteemed speakers, including Hon. Justice Hameed A. Gegele, Abdulfatai.M. Bello, Esq. and Bola R. Gold, SAN, who shared valuable insights on various aspects of legal practice.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Sabitiyu K. Grillo, Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General of Kwara State, encouraged participants to drink from the wealth of experience of the day’s speakers.
Grillo emphasized the importance of continuous learning and professional development for lawyers and termed the training as ‘The Productivity and Enhancement Training of the Ministry of Justice’.
B.R Gold, SAN delivered a lecture titled ‘Dos and Donts of Pleadings’. According to the learned silk, pleadings are written or printed statements of facts filed and exchanged by the parties in a case. Pleadings can be of three types, namely: statement of claim, statement of defense, and reply. He further mentioned that pleadings must contain material facts on which the plaintiff bases his claim or the defendant relies on for his defence, as well as the reliefs that a party seeks.
Gold, SAN further highlighted the matters that must be specifically pleaded to include: limitation of actions, immunity, commission of crime, faud, illegality, counterclaim, or set off.
The second lecture for the day was delivered by A.M Bello Esq. titled ‘Section 34(5) of the Land Use Act in Nigerian courts: Between statutory intention and judicial interpretation’.
Bello, Esq. highlighted that the Land Use Act of 1978 was a landmark reform in Nigeria land law and was introduced to unify the country’s diverse land tenure systems,curb land speculation and ensure that land serves the common good of all Nigerians .To achieve this, the Act vested all lands in the governor of each state, to be held in trust for the common benefit of the people.
Bello recommended that to address the challenges and strengthen the effectiveness of the law, a comprehensive reform of the Act is proposed, given it’s age and the persistent controversies it generates, hence, a wholistic review of the Land Use Act is overdue. Such reform will balance equity, efficiency, and constitutional compliance while also reflecting Nigeria’s economic aspirations .
The lectures for the day were capped up by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Hameed A. Gegele, who delivered on a topic titled ‘Common mistakes made by Lawyers in litigation:Judex Perspective’. He stated that litigation has been the cornerstone of the Nigerian legal profession, representing a technical and strategic process that unfolds from inception to conclusion.
His Lordship highlighted the common mistakes made by lawyers in litigation to include: failure to explore the windows of settlement options, poor preparation for trials, procedural gaps, defective advocacy in the court room, wrong use of technology, putting up unprofessional shows among others.
In his recommendations, His lordship emphasized the need for lawyers to develop a proper case management strategy as a way to minimize mistakes during litigation. He also charged lawyers to manage their clients with a sense of absolute control and professional authority and, lastly, encouraged lawyers to be open to embracing alternative dispute resolution when the opportunity presents itself.
A. A. Daib Esq., the Director, Civil Litigation in his closing remarks reiterated that the training provided a valuable opportunity for State Counsels to enhance their skills and knowledge of the Law and ultimately improve the delivery of Justice in Kwara State.
He also expressed his appreciation to the guest speakers, Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, Solicitor General & permanent Secretary, Mrs. S. K. Grilo, all state counsel and solicit, that in-house training of this nature becomes a norm in the Ministry of Justice, Kwara State.
