This statement was made by Hon. Justice Ngozi Priscilla Emehelu, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, during the ADR Seminar and Special Induction Ceremony of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), which held October 25, 2019 in Enugu State.
ICMC held her ADR Seminar and Special Induction Ceremony on the 25th of October, 2019 in Enugu State, as a prelude to the annual ADR Conference & Induction Ceremony scheduled to hold on Tuesday, the 3rd of December, 2019 in Abuja.
In her Goodwill message, the Chief Judge of Enugu State commended the Leadership and entire membership body of the Institute for their wondrous efforts in advocating the use of Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Nigeria. She announced that she is immensely grateful for the award of Honorary Fellowship, and proud for the opportunity and honour to include the designation “FICMC” (Fellow, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators) after her name.
Further, she extoled the efficacy of Mediation as an effective means for resolving disputes, and advised all present to take advantage of Mediation/ADR at the Multi-door Courthouse of Enugu State. She urged ICMC to maintain the admirable level of focus shown thus far and keep the flag flying.
The other Honorary Fellows of the Special Induction Ceremony are; Hon. Justice Chima Centus Nweze, Honourable Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria; Hon. Justice Onochie M. Anyachebelu, the Acting Chief Judge of Anambra State; Professor Greg C. Nwakoby, the Vice Chancellor of Odumegwu Ojukwu University; and Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, the Chairman of the Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council.
The President of ICMC, Chief Emeka J.P. Obegolu, stated that all those to be inducted are individuals who were successful at the Accreditation Examinations/Assessment, turned in their post course assignments and deemed worthy in learning and character to be Associate Members, Members and Fellows of the Institute. He emphasized the new initiatives of the Institute such as Mediation Bulletin (the online news outlet solely dedicated to covering news and developments in the ADR Industry), ICMC Community (the membership portal of ICMC), the ICMC E-Learning platform for continuous professional development within the spectrum of ADR, and the ICMC Young Mediators Forum.
Chief Obegolu urged the inductees to join one of the twenty branches of ICMC, show more interest in continuing professional development in their various areas of specialization, and to take up the gauntlet and support the efforts of the Institute to mainstream Mediation and Conciliation as the primary means for addressing disputes in Nigeria.
Dr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze, the Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and pioneer Deputy Registrar of ICMC, in his keynote address highlighted that Mediation remains a critical tool for peacebuilding in Nigeria and in the African continent. He explained further that research and conflict analysis, including using structural tools and theoretical frameworks like the human needs, transformative, relational and political theories also play important roles in enhancing Mediation processes and procedures. He applauded ICMC, and the members of ICMC, for effectively demonstrating this nexus between conflict analysis and Mediation practice in their numerous trainings and interventions.
The Chairman of the ICMC Enugu Branch, Hon. Uchenna Cyril Anioke, appreciated the Chairman of the Occasion, Professor Frank Asogwah, and welcomed all inductees and special guests to the ceremony, and stated that the ICMC ADR Seminar and Special Induction Ceremony is an eloquent testimony that Enugu has indeed become a Mediation and ADR hub, not only in the South East, but in Nigeria.
The Special Induction Ceremony witnessed the induction of Judges and Magistrates of the Enugu State Judiciary, and senior Legal Practitioners into the Fellowship cadre of ICMC, and the induction of over seventy (70) young lawyers into the Associate Membership cadre of ICMC.
The ICMC 2019 ADR Conference, Induction & 20th Anniversary Dinner is scheduled to hold on the 3rd of December, 2019 in Abuja. To register, kindly click here.
For more information about the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, the professional body of practitioners with the mandate to regulate the practice of Mediation, train prospective candidates, and encourage organizations and institutions to adopt Mediation and Conciliation as the primary means for addressing disputes, kindly click here
