Rule of Law, Recipe for Democracy, Says AG
From Paul Ibe in Abuja
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujinmi has said adherence to the rule of law is a recipe to the sustenance of a free, democratic Nigeria.
The Attorney General made the declaration yesterday in Abuja in a keynote address at the public presentation of 'Nigerian Laws on Public Finance,' compiled by Mr. Nda Yakubu.
Noting that Nigeria is a "lawful society" and not a "lawless society," Olujinmi said the nation is "under the able leadership of a patriotic statesman who believes in the rule of law as a leavening process of democratic reform."
Commending the compilation of the 'Nigerian Laws on Public Finance' by Yakubu, a civil servant, the Minister observed that the Obasanjo administration is assiduously working to review the laws of the federation.
He also said processes are in place to bring all laws in the country in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution.
He called on foreign investors to have "confidence in our system, our civil system, our administrative system, our democratic system, and our economic system."
He said the compilation of the finance laws by the author will enhance the compliance level, since "compliance makes it imperative for us to know what the requirements are in our financial regulations and legislations."
He added that the activities of '419ners' and other criminal elements in the society have necessitated the need for adequate surveillance and draconian measures.
He said "the economic reform packages of the present administration will indeed make the civil service system impervious to criminal tendencies."
To this end, he said the police, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies working in concert "will continue to checkmate the attempts to dent Nigeria's image at home and abroad."
The minister, who noted that, "a country is known by its institutional frameworks which are there to uphold (its) moral ethics and core values." He added that the Obasanjo government "has been bold and prompt in reviewing aspects of our statutes that are no longer relevant."
Chairman of the occasion and former military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon noted that since a country and its economy are continuously evolving and developing, there is the need for "periodic, new, sound economic law reviews and reforms."
He said the book will not only serve as a reference point on the legal provisions regulating the financial landscape in the country, it will serve as a valuable "road map for domestic and international investors, multilateral agencies and financial institutions who frequently need to make recourse to the myriad of laws and regulations governing financial conduct and management in Nigeria."
|
