Eighteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-two dispute matters have been mediated and resolved in the last eight months by Lagos State Citizens Mediation Centre.

While four thousand seven hundred and one issues were adjourned and referred to other government agencies for further processing.

According to the Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem, the total amount of money recovered for parties through mediation adds up to eight hundred and twenty-nine million one hundred and ten thousand two hundred and twenty naira.

Kazeem said in brokering peace as it related to civil disputes among residents of Lagos, between January and August, the Centre had successfully registered a total number of thirty-three six hundred and seventy matters.

He spoke through Permanent Secretary and Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice, Funlola Odunlami, at a news briefing to commemorate the twenty-eighteen United Nations International Day of Peace in Ikeja, Lagos.

Kazeem, said this year’s event coincided with the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of the UN which aimed to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace and respect for Human Rights.

He said the United Nations had been able to achieve its laudable programmes through the thousands of partnerships each year with governments, civil society, the private sector, faith-based groups and other non-governmental organizations.

According to the commissioner, the existence of peace in any society was germane to democracy and a panacea to socio-economic development and growth, saying peace was what the world needed at this time to promote bilateral partnerships, among nations.

He said the sustenance of Human Rights would eradicate acrimony and entrench self love and mutual respect among citizens which in the end contributed to the global peace.

Kazeem said government recognised the fact that the State, as the commercial nerve centre of the sub-Saharan Africa where all races converged for various purposes such as business, hospitality, tourism among others; had put in place mechanisms that would foster development and promote economic activities in the State by instituting agencies that would provide free service modeled at protecting the fundamental rights of its residents.

“Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been created and funded by the Lagos state government to attend to matters relating to Land Grabbers, Free legal Services, Youth Empowerment, Wealth creation, Special Task Force, Provision of Police Vehicles/logistics for security, creation of DNA and Forensic laboratory, among others. All these actions are geared toward enhancing peace in the Lagos State,” he said.

Some activities lined up to commemorate the programme were walk for peace; walk for peace and free legal clinic at Alimosho Local Government Council and the commemoration of UN International Day of Peace and Stakeholders’ Conference.

The Attorney General saluted the courage of past heroes of Human Rights like Late Gani Fawehinmi, Tai Solarin and Herbert Macaulay among others and urged Lagos residents to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolutions rather than taking laws into their own hand in the name of Jungle Justice which when caught would face the wrath of the law.