We Need To Declare State Of Emergency On Our Laws, Says Senate Spokesman

The senator representing Osun Central and spokesman of the Nigeria Senate, Ajibola Basiru, has called for a declaration of state of emergency on the laws of the nation.

Basiru, speaking on a live social media programme, Politics Everywhere With SOK, described the most of the laws of the country as “dead letters”, and obsolete.

The former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for Osun State lamented that the national assembly, under the leadership of former senate president, Bukola Saraki, made attempts to amend, repeal and reenact some of these defective laws.

He said at one instance, the house of representatives introduced as many as 130 bills in one day which scaled through both chambers of the national assembly but were not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The senate spokesman however stated that poor funding has remained a hindrance t reworking of the laws.

He stated: “It tells us that largely we need to declare a state of emergency on the laws of Nigeria. Most of our laws have become what they call dead letters because they are no longer useful.

“We know that by Section 5 of the Nigerian Law Reforms Commission Law, the commission is saddled with ensuring dynamic amendment of our laws.

“But largely because of funding, and may be lack of commitment to it, the commission has been largely in limbo.

“So, you would agree with me that we need to declare a state of emergency in terms of our laws. But then, you see there has to be a relationship between the executive and the legislature.

“I want to enjoin the attorney-general of the federation and the Law Reform Commission and particularly the executive to take the issue of some of our laws reform very serious.”