Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Senate moves to facilitate litigation process

By George Opara, Abuja
13 June 2017   |   4:24 am
Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki disclosed this during a public hearing organised by its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters on four bills.

Members of the Nigerian Senate PHOTO: TWITTER/ NIGERIAN SENATE

Partners ILO on elimination of child labour

The Senate yesterday resolved to make the litigation process in the country less cumbersome to facilitate dispute resolutions through arbitration and conciliation.
Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki disclosed this during a public hearing organised by its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters on four bills.

They are the National Commission for Peace Reconciliation (Establishment) Bill 2017, sponsored by Shehu Sani; Revised Laws of the Federation Bill 2017 sponsored by David Umaru; Emergency Powers Act 1966 Bill, sponsored by John Owan Enoh and Arbitration and Conciliation Act Cap. A18FLN 2004 (Amendment Bill 2017) sponsored by Monsurat Sumonu.

Saraki, who decried the absence of timelines to codify the country’s laws and the prevailing practice, noted that the situation whereby the National Assembly was required to pass a law to approve every compilation at all times was cumbersome and uncoordinated.

“And that makes it very difficult for lawyers and constitutional researchers to keep tabs on the existing laws in operation,” he said. On the bill seeking an amendment of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 2004, he observed that arbitration was the modern way of dispute resolution and as such it was important for the country to review its laws to update her statutes in order not to be left behind by the international community.

Saraki also said the National Commission for Peace and Reconciliation Establishment Bill, which seeks to establish an administrative mechanism for creating bonds, unity and reconciliation would go a long way in dousing tension and violence in different parts of the country, as well as check agitations for secession.

He stressed that the emergency power bill had nothing to do with removal of governors and appointment of sole administrators during a state of emergency. “State governors can only be removed through impeachment, resignation, permanent incapacitation, death or expiration of tenure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday said it was ready to partner with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to end child labour. Saraki said this in Abuja when ILO’s Country Director, Dennis Zulu, visited him as part of activities to mark the World Day Against Child Labour.

He, however, commended the United Nations (UN) for its fight against child labour saying: “We all must do more to eliminate forced labour against children.”

Speaking, Zulu, said: “Nigeria does not have recent statistics on the prevalence of child labour. The last survey from 2003 estimated that more than 15 million children are engaged in economic activities while about 6.1 million were classified as child labourers.”

0 Comments