From Fred Itua, Abuja
Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has rejected Senate bills that will create two new agencies, with functions being performed by existing, Federal Government establishments.
Malami expressed his misgivings about the bills at a public hearing by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on four different bills, out of which the one on Revised Laws of the Federation Bill, 2017 (SB. 391) sponsored by Senator David Umaru, who chairs the committee and the one on National Commission for Peace, Reconciliation (Establishment etc) Bill, sponsored by Senator Shehu Sani, were rejected.
Kicking against the bills, the AGF, who was represented by an Assistant Director from the ministry’s Legal Drafting Department, Mr. Patrick Eta Eyoh, said the intendment of the Bill on Revised Laws of the Federation, if allowed to sail through, would infract negatively on functions of the Nigeria Law Reform Commission.
He said Section 5 of the Commission’s Act is saddled with responsibilities of law revision which the new bill primarily seeks to achieve. “This, to us, in the Justice ministry, is not necessary, to avoid creating an agency for functions already being carried out legally by an existing one,” he said. Similarly, the AGF hinged his rejection of the Peace Commission Bill on the fact that the National Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution will carry out functions relating to peace and conflict resolutions within Nigeria and Africa.
“Our take on these two bills is that they should be jettisoned since their intendments have already been taken care of by existing agencies legally put in place and if they are seen not to be carrying out their functions efficiently and effectively, we are not against the National Assembly by way of legislation, strengthening their capacities to function better,” he said.
He however supported the two other bills, i.e., the one seeking for Emergency Powers Act, sponsored by Senator John Owan Enoh (PDP Cross River Central) and Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2017) sponsored by Senator Monsurat Sunmonu (APC Oyo Central).
Earlier in his welcome address, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, tasked stakeholders at the Public Hearing to help the Senate Committee in coming up with robust legislative work on all the bills through quality contributions.