By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Nigerian politicians have been urged to employ mediation as a means of resolving political disputes.

President, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), Dr Louis Ogbeifun, made the recommendation during ICMC’s special induction ceremony after its 100th Mediation Skills and Accreditation and Certification Course.

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Dr Ogbeifun, said mediation can be used to settle disputes before and after elections.

According to him, mediation is easily accessible to private, public and commercial consumers, and reduces judges’ case dockets in civil matters, thereby decongesting the courts.

Ogbeifun spoke in Lagos  at the ceremony where about 50 mediators were inducted, most of them staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

He  said the institute has trained over 10,000 mediators since inception, adding that mediation reduces cost of resolving disputes, saves time spent in litigation through frequent adjournments, and encourages dispute resolution that meet disputants’ needs.

Ogbeifun said mediation promotes accommodation, tolerance, peace and harmonious coexistence; restores parties to their pre-dispute relationships and encourages foreign investment.

According to him, judicial officers also need to acquire mediation skills. He said this will enable them know when to invite lawyers into chambers for amicable resolution of disputes or refer them to mediation centres or multi-door courthouses, thereby contributing to effective justice administration.

He said: “All over the world, courts of law are overloaded and overburdened. Invariably, there is delay, usually considerable, in the resolution of disputes. Court procedure is very formal, technical and inflexible.

ICMC Registrar, Segun Ogunyannwo urged states who do not have mediation centres to establish one.

He said: “About seven states have mediation centres. We need such structures for promoting peace. When people have conflicts and know there’s a place they can go to, that somebody will listen to them and assist them to be reconciled, it has a tendency to douse tension, to prevent people from resorting to self-help or taking laws into their hands.

“This will ultimately help in promoting peaceful and harmonious co-existence in a society. So, states that do not already have such centres are encouraged to immediately put such in place,” he said.

He said ICMC’s inductions are usually held on the last Tuesday of every November, adding that an exception was made for staff of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.