The Zamfara State House of Assembly, in collaboration with donor agencies including UK-ID, SPRING, Tetra Tech, and International Alert, has held a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish and manage the Zamfara State Multi-Door Courthouse.
The public hearing, held on Thursday in Gusau, drew participants from civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the State Ministry of Justice, and the Anti-Corruption Commission, among others.
Declaring the session open, the Chairman of the House Committee on Petitions, Hon. Rilwanu Marafa Anka, said the proposed law under Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration aims to promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in the state.
According to him, the initiative is designed to help decongest conventional courts and provide quicker, less adversarial resolutions for civil cases such as land disputes, marriage issues, and inheritance matters.
Marafa announced that the Assembly would keep its doors open for one week to allow participants and the public to submit observations, suggestions, and recommendations, which will be considered in fine-tuning the bill.
He explained that the idea to establish a multi-door courthouse in Zamfara was inspired by successful models in Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos States, where ADR centers have helped fast-track civil case resolutions.
Also speaking, Mr. Sunday Jimoh, representative of International Alert, pledged his organization’s support in the training and retraining of personnel who will manage the courthouse.
In his goodwill message, the Emir of Anka and Chairman, Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, HRH Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, commended the initiative, describing it as a welcome development that will strengthen access to justice and reduce hostility among disputing parties.
“With the establishment of the Multi-Door Courthouse, people will have a new avenue for resolving conflicts peacefully. Those who once viewed litigation as an act of enmity will now see justice as a path to reconciliation,” the Emir stated.
