By Wandoo Sombo
The Chairman of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) is to partner with the Plateau Government on strengthening justice sector reforms and good governance in the state.
Prof. Dakas Dakas, SAN, made this known when he received the Plateau Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Philemon Daffi, who led a delegation on a visit to the commission.
He said the commission would be delighted to explore every area of partnership that would be mutually beneficial to both parties.
Dakas also responded to the issue raised by the Attorney-General concerning Section 7 of the commission’s establishment Act.
“He says he has come here to activate that section and I am here just two months ago so I won’t go into the history.
“So, when he used the words, “I have come to activate that section”, I was asking myself is he saying that this provision of the law has not been activated before?
“Whatever it is, I want to assure you that we are willing to partner with subnationals,” he said.
The chairman also said that he had abolished the system of numbered titles in the commission which was the practice of designating its commissioners as “commissioner one, commissioner two and commissioner three,” and will henceforth assign specific portfolios to them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that numbered titles means commissioners are labelled by order of appointment or seniority and not by function.
“I decided to abolish that, and what I plan to do is to assign portfolios to each of the commissioners.
“By assigning portfolios to each of them, each one knows specifically what their responsibility is.
“When you say commissioner one, two and three, without assigning responsibility, then you are not able to get them to give in their best,” he said.
Dakas commended the Plateau Attorney-General for seeking stronger collaboration between the state and federal law reform bodies, describing the move as timely and mutually beneficial.
He assured that the commission would be delighted to explore every area of partnership that would strengthen justice sector reforms and promote good governance.
The commissioner urged members of the Attorney-General’s entourage to remain focused and learn from his wealth of experience.
In his remarks, the Plateau Attorney-General said the visit was to explore avenues for partnership with the federal commission in line with the continuous process of law reform.
“Law reform is a continuous and consistent process; we want to see avenues by which we can partner.
“Section 7 of your establishment Act empowers you to do all the things that you can do with subnationals. We have come to activate that section of your establishment Act,” Daffi said.
NAN reports that NLRC is the country’s primary agency for reviewing and reforming federal laws to align them with Nigerian society’s current norms and needs.
It was established in 1979 and its functions include codifying laws, eliminating anomalies, repealing obsolete laws, simplifying legal processes, and ensuring public participation in the reform process. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
