Workshop on Financial Management System and Processes for the Senior and medium level staff of Ministry of Justice took place on 7th of February, 2013 at the Bridge Waters Hotels and Suites, Enugu. The workshop facilitated by the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Action PRAWA with the support of Justice for All J4A Programme of DFID is one of the deliverables of PRAWA under the ‘Speeding-Up Criminal Justice in Enugu State Project”.

According to the Executive Director of PRAWA, Dr. Uju Agomoh, the workshop is one of the activities 3 of CIP 4.2 Project, which seeks to address the inadequacy of funding of target partner organizations. These funding inadequacies have been identified as major factors that slow down the speedy administration of justice in the criminal sector institutions in Enugu State.

The workshop involved identification, analyzing and tracking gaps in resource allocation and

expenditure by the Ministry of Justice. It also concentrated on expenditure relating to preparation of and prosecution of cases by the Ministry of Justice MOJ. Some of the key areas treated at the workshop include: planning, application for funds [budget], allocations and disbursements and management of the funds, prioritization and expenditure.

It also included examining systems as well as identifying specific expenditure patterns and where possible the results of that expenditure. In addition, the decision making procedures that governs where money is spent and accountability mechanism that validate the expenditure and its outcome were reviewed.

Highlight of the workshop was building the processes map  that tracked the movement of funds from the receipt of police case file by the MOJ to the time the MOJ Registry  sends the case file to Directorate of Public Prosecution DPP  for onward transfer  to lawyers to prosecute the case.

Speaking at the workshop, the Attorney General and commissioner of Justice Enugu State Barrister Anthony Ani who was represented by Director of Finance; Mr. Anyaneche said the workshop is a very good opportunity for the prosecutors to identify and follow up on issues bordering on funding that delay their works. He thanked the facilitators of the workshop PRAWA and the supporting Organization; J4A for creating such a forum.  The workshop attracted over 25 MOJ top notch staff, many MOJ Senior Prosecutors and PRAWA team.