Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar

Tobi Soniyi 
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, and the former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prince Bola Ajibola, have called on  countries to tow the path of peace by embracing  arbitration as an effective method for settling disputes.

The legal luminaries spoke separately in Abuja yesterday at a lecture by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced legal Studies (NIALS) during the conferment of honourary fellowship on some distinguished Nigerians.

In his lecture titled: ‘World Peace Through Arbitration,’ Justice Ajibola said  arbitration in resolving disputes was  far cheaper than litigation.
According to him, arbitration  promotes peaceful settlement of all forms of disputes.

He said the establishment of the ICJ and the Permanent Court of Arbitration had  been largely responsible for global peace after two world wars.
The jurist said the battlefield as a place of settlement of disputes was gradually yielding to arbitral courts of justice.

In her speech, the CJN, reiterated that arbitration remained the only effective method of peaceful resolution of disputes both locally and internationally.
She urged the honourees to exercise the virtues and responsibilities of the fellowship and to embrace and see the award as a call to greater service to the institute and the country at large.

Justice Mukhtar used the occasion to stress the need for legal practitioners to update their knowledge of the law.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Mohammed Adoke ((SAN), advised fellows of the institute to see their conferment as a call to service.

Highlights of the event was the conferment of the fellowship of the institute on Justice Muhammed Mahmud, Deputy Governor of Delta State, Professor Amos Utuama and retired Justice Olufunke Adekeye.

Others include Justice Umaru Kalgo, Justice Abdul Koroma of the International Court of Justice and Solomon Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).