Legislative Retreat: Anambra Assembly Identifies Laws Due for Review

By Uche Eke

The Anambra State House of Assembly says there are number of laws in the State that are overdue for review by the law makers.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze stated this in an opening remarks during a four day retreat for the leadership and members of the 8th Assembly holding at Asaba, Delta State.

According to the Speaker, some of the laws were inherited from military decrees and have never been properly domesticated into democratic statute while some are incompatible with obligations under international treaties that Nigeria has ratified.

He noted that some are simply obsolete in a digital age which include the laws on data protection, community development, environmental regulation, on the rights of persons with disabilities plus many others are amongst those needing review and that is part of essence of seting up a committee to look into it.

Mr Speaker said the retreat aims at producing specific legislative targets and empower the law makers with a roadmap on which laws they intend to review before the end of the legislative year, new bills they intend to originate from within the House, and what capacity support needed to accomplish things at the highest standard.

During the retreat, two former Clark’s of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mr Pius Udo spoke on Budget Driven Oversight , Executive Pespective, Professor M. Umenweke presented a paper on Deepening Democratic Governance and Constitutional Reform while the Deputy Clark of the Delta State House of Assembly presented Budget Driven Oversight: a Legislative Perspective.

Radio Nigeria Correspondent reports that the theme of the retreat is Strengthening Democratic Governance through constitutional reviews a d budgetary oversight: the role of state legislatures.