The federal government has been urged to engage a formidable national committee of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to resolve the increasing calls for secession, including the case of Biafra nation agitator Nnamdi Kanu.

The appeal was made by the Grand Patron of One Nation for Asiwaju Support Group, Mr. Mohammed Ndarani, SAN, during an interaction with journalists in Abuja.

“In my opinion, the court may not solve the above matter if peace must reign in the nation. 

“President Bola Tinubu should consider Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms like arbitration, conciliation, and mediation in some of these cases concerning these agitators,” he said.

According to the senior lawyer, ADR is any method of conflict resolution that takes place outside of the courtroom, adding that it involves processes and techniques of conflict resolution without litigation and empowers parties to work together using a framework to amicably settle complex issues.

Ndarani who observed that the political atmosphere in Nigeria is tense, with tribal and religious issues being championed every day by those who feel marginalized and aggrieved, stressed that in times like these, early resolution of a dispute not only saves valuable time and money the parties to the dispute but also promotes peace and unity.

He disclosed that Section 17 of the Federal High Court Act and Section 174 of the Constitution provide that parties can explore alternative options for both civil and criminal matters.

“Like the treason matter involving Omoyele Sowore, leader of Revolution Now Movement and a presidential candidate for the 2023 election, and also the terrorism case against Bello Badejo, leader of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, both cases which were withdrawn the Nigerian government is commendable,” he said. 

“High-profile cases like Kanu’s are best resolved as quickly as possible because they evoke a lot of sentiments.

“Another reason why an expeditious resolution of the matter is because it would begin to heal festering wounds which we can certainly do without at this stage of our nationhood”, he added.

The senior lawyer reminded me that justice delayed is invariably justice denied.

“Talking about litigation generally in our courts, it is clear that some matters drag on interminably, and this has a knock-on effect on the willingness of our people to seek justice in our law courts.”

Ndarani said that arbitration could equally help in decongesting the courts, which are currently bogged down by a lot more matters than they can expeditiously dispose of.

“Indispensable as the role of courts is in society, the process is usually long and drawn out and hence, the need to explore more frequently the option of alternative dispute resolution.

“The sooner we find alternative means of quickly disposing of these worrisome matters the better for the promotion of peace and harmony in our country.

“I will advise the president to look inwards to see how to settle most of these pockets of agitations that have given rise to loss of lives and property.

“Arbitration can bring rest to the east, peace and rest to the wanton killings in the middle belt and as well as other parts of the country,” he said.

Ndarani advised that Nigerians should be patient with Tinubu because he met an unjust society, and it is not easy to re-arrange a system that had already collapsed before the advent of his administration.