Justice Ministry Has No Budgetary Allocation To Settle Rising Judgment Debts – PS

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• Falana expressed disappointment that the government does not compensate for monetary damages and urged the people to demand their rights when they are violated

According to Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, the Federation’s Solicitor General, the Ministry of Justice did not receive any funding for the collection of judgement debts.

This was stated by Jeddy-Agba, who also serves as the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, in Abuja during a discussion on how to seek redress for human rights abuses in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Enoch Simon, a director in the litigation division of the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office, stated: “Since 2019, the Federal Ministry of Justice has not received any budgetary allocation for settlement of judgement debt.”

She bemoaned the fact that the timely prosecution of instances involving basic rights and the implementation of the resultant judgements remained difficult for the government despite the country’s existing legal structure.

She said it was unfortunate that the ministry was often compelled to pay judgment debts from unlawful actions of law enforcement institutions and agents.

“Most often, security or law enforcement agencies are the actual judgment debtors since their actions and inactions occasion the infractions.

“However, the Ministry of Justice is dragged into the arena either because the Attorney-General of the Federation is sued as a nominal party or the judgment creditor approaches the AGF to grant consent, pursuant to the provisions of section 84 (1-3) of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act.

“As a matter of due process and FGN Financial Regulations, if is the policy of the Federal Ministry of Finance that payment of judgment debt by any agency must be based on clearance by the Attorney-General and requisite budgetary appropriation,” NAN quoted her as saying.

The solicitor-general said some debtor agencies refer judgment debts to the Attorney-General for intervention.