By: Joseph Jibueze
The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Akintola Benson Oke, has been named a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators.
He was among those admitted by the institute during 2015/2016 investiture and award held in Lagos.
Akintola, a lawyer, political scientist and public policy expert with over 23 years experience, is also a member of the Institute of Management, Institute of Directors of Nigeria, Nigerian Political Science Association, and a full member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
An alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU), he holds Bachelor degrees in Law and in Political Science, as well as a Ph.D. in Political Science.
In 1992, he was appointed a Senior Special Assistant (Political Affairs) to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Finance and Banking.
He was later appointed Senior Special Assistant (Media Relations) to Tinubu when he was Lagos State governor.
Akintola also served as Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy, Politics and Law.
He was the pioneer National Financial Secretary of the Action Congress (AC), now All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akintola’s ministry is a core human resource management agency saddled with human capital development, career management, institutional/organisational policy reforms, among others.
Its vision is to be the leading government agency reputed for providing an enabling and progressive environment for the development of a result-oriented public service.
Akintola said more use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, such as arbitration, would help drive economic development and guarantee social harmony.
According to him, the regular courts were no longer the best option in resolving disputes due to the long and tedious process and number of years it takes to decide cases.
He described arbitration as a consensual process by which the parties of a dispute submit their differences to one or more impartial parties who gives an award which is final and binding on the parties.
Arbitration, Akintola said, is substantially less formal than court proceedings, with hearings conducted in private.
He said parties were free to choose their own arbitrator or arbitrators, rules and procedures, and can also decide on the venue of their arbitration.
He said in arbitration, confidentiality is ensured and the disputes are expeditiously resolved in a practical manner.
