The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitmevnnnt to supporting the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) in fulfilling its obligations.
Fagbemi said this during an interview with journalists at the 2024 LACON Management Retreat held on Tuesday in Lagos.
Fagbemi highlighted the Tinubu administration’s efforts to enhance the welfare of LACON staff and improve the council’s operations.
He emphasized the importance of the retreat for the growth and development of the council, urging participants to seize the opportunity.
“My own expectation is that at the end of this retreat, it will impact positively on the operation of the Legal Aid Council and the vision of the establishment of the council,” Fagbemi stated.
The council, established to provide legal aid services to the less privileged, especially those earning below the minimum wage, has seen significant improvements under the current administration.
Fagbemi noted, “You will recall that since the coming onboard of this administration, LACON has not had it so good.
The condition of service has been looked into, and there are other critical thematic areas that the government is addressing to improve the council’s operations.”
Fagbemi also expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Police Command for their participation in the police solicitors’ duty, praising Lagos State for being the first to adopt this scheme and urging other states to follow suit.
Looking ahead, Fagbemi announced plans for the government to recruit more staff into the council and to ensure continuous training and retraining of existing staff.
Regarding the proposed nationwide protests, the AGF advised against them, citing the potential for miscreants to exploit the situation.
“The challenges facing the country have been there for ages, and the government is still young,” he noted.
Fagbemi emphasized that President Tinubu is focused on rebuilding the country and needs time to achieve this.
In his remarks, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, Director-General of LACON, explained that the retreat was aimed at the top management staff of the council, focusing on aligning the council’s operations with the eight-point agenda of the current administration, particularly regarding the rule of law.
Abubakar also addressed the proposed protests, calling for them to remain peaceful.
He reiterated LACON’s primary duty to protect the poor and indigent individuals when they encounter legal issues.
On expanding LACON’s reach, Abubakar expressed the council’s ongoing desire to establish a presence in all local government areas.
This retreat marks a significant step in advancing the mission of LACON and ensuring that legal aid services are accessible to Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations.
Newsmen reports that the retreat for the management staff of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON), which took place on July 29 and 30, was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA.
The retreat aimed also to identify strategic actions to enhance the availability and coordination of legal aid services in Nigeria and to ensure the effective implementation of the Legal Aid Act 2011.
The event was chaired by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who committed to pursuing more appropriate budgetary allocations for LACON in the 2025 budget.
