Many of our laws are dead, says senate spokesman

Ajibola Basiru, spokesman of the senate, says many of the country’s laws are “dead letters” because they are no longer useful.

Speaking on a live social media programme – Politics Everywhere With SOK – Basiru, senator representing Osun central, said the country needs to declare a state of emergency on its laws.

The national assembly under the chairmanship of Bukola Saraki, former senate president, made attempts to amend, repeal and reenact some of these defective laws.

At one instance, the house of representatives introduced as many as 130 bills in one day but most of the proposed legislation passed by both chambers of the national assembly were not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Basiru said poor funding has hindered the reworking of these obsolete laws.

“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,” the senator said in a statement.

“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.”