LAC STAFF PARLEY WITH THE DIRECTOR GENERAL

It was a joyful moment on the 13^th of March 2019 as Staff and Management of Legal Aid Council held a meeting with the Newly Appointed Director General, Mr. Aliyu Bagudu Abubakar.

The Director General in his opening remarks thanked the staff for honouring his invitation for the meeting. He pointed out that the reason for the parley was to familiarize himself with staff and chart the way forward for the Council. He told staff that he has been a lawyer for the past 31 years and sees his appointment as a privilege for him to contribute his quota for the improvement of the Council. On assumption of duty, the Director-General said he received a Handover Note from Mr. Tunde Ikusagba, the then Acting DG, and briefings from Departmental Heads and Unit Heads concerning the challenges facing the Council and he immediately swung into action to resolve some of the issues. While responding to questions from staff, the DG highlighted some of the issues he was able to resolve within the few months he assumed duty which include promotion, Conditions of Service, Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE), outstanding debts and working tools.

Other areas that are receiving attention of the new DG includes; LAC Access to Justice Fund that is captured in the 2011 Legal Aid Act, training of staff, availability of staff buses, payment of overtime allowances which shall be restricted to certain officers due to the exigencies of their duties, purchase of Law Reports, attendance of Annual Bar Conference, and prison decongestion; he said efforts are being made to see how the Council can secure prison decongestion funds from Ministry of Justice.  He also said the Council is making efforts to acquire equipment for the offices.

At the end of the meeting, staff agreed to be dedicated to work and cooperate with the new DG to make him succeed in the overall interest of the Council’s mandate.