The new Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has assumed his office.
Mr Fagbemi reported at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Monday after he was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The senior lawyer, who is the 24th person to hold the office, arrived at the ministry at 3:10 p.m. and was received by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jeddy-Agba; directors and heads of agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Notable among the heads of agencies under the ministry are: Buba Marwa, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Mrs Jeddy-Agba conducted Mr Fagbemi around his office, introducing the new AGF to directors and heads of agencies under the ministry.
Mr Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), assumes office as Nigeria’s 24th Attorney-General, succeeding Abubakar Malami, who served in President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime for nearly eight years.
AGF asks staff members to redouble their efforts
In his maiden address to staff members, Mr Fagbemi noted that “expectations are high” for the Ministry of Justice to deliver on its mandate of providing the legal framework for the government’s policies.
Recalling the congratulatory messages that trailed his appointment, the new AGF said the enormity of the responsibilities on his shoulders was not lost.
“When this appointment came, I received congratulatory messages from critics.
I didn’t just savour the encomium; expectations are high. I will rely on you colleagues here,” Mr Fagbemi said.
Speaking extempore, Mr Fagbemi said his private sector background had positioned him to take “suggestions and criticisms,” adding that criticisms should be “constructive.”
“I come from the private sector, we may disagree on issues, but it should not be borne out of malice.”
He expressed joy at the array of heads of parastatals and directors at the ministry, saying he was so happy to see the array of people from the parastatals under the ministry.
The AGF promised to work with the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Mrs Jeddy-Agba, to deliver on President Tinubu’s electoral promises on justice reform.
“I am happy to be with the Solicitor-General.
“The Ministry of Justice holds a very strategic position in this country. We have to issue legal advice on criminal and civil matters.
“Let us redouble our efforts. I follow the rules, but I can ask a director to come to me straight.
“We should not unnecessarily delay files but be thorough. Let us do our work guided by our conscience and oath of office,” Mr Fagbemi advised.
During his ministerial screening as Nigeria’s Chief Law Officer, Mr Fagbemi, an accomplished lawyer with a legal career spanning four decades, hinted at merging the country’s anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and the ICPC.
He berated law enforcement agencies for arresting crime suspects before the conclusion of an investigation.
Mr Fagbemi also criticised law enforcement institutions for flouting court orders.
Solicitor-General pledges support
Earlier in her welcome address, the Solicitor-General, Mrs Jeddy-Agba, said the Justice Ministry was lucky to have Mr Fagbemi as the Attorney-General of the Federation.
“We will deploy all human and material resources of the ministry and its parastatals to support and assist you in realising your set objectives,” the Solicitor-General assured Mr Fagbemi.
She intimated the minister of the “enormous constitutional and statutory mandates and responsibilities vested in the Federal Ministry of Justice.”
Mrs Jeddy-Agba lauded Mr Fagbemi for his “strong family and community values”, describing him as “urbane” and “self-effacing.”
The high point of the event was the presentation of handover notes from the immediate-past AGF, Abubakar Malami, to Mr Fagbemi.
The Solicitor-General said the handover notes cover activities of parastatals and agencies during Mr Malami’s tenure, which lasted nearly eight years.
Culled from Premium Times
