Sen. Ahmed Markarfi, Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has challenged the National Assembly to review obsolete laws that cause confusion and delay justice.
“Let us tidy up the legal system by making it as light as possible, and not choke it up,” Makarfi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Wednesday.
He challenged the law makers to make the system efficient by reviewing or repealing any legislation obstructing the quest for a speedy justice system.
Makarfi said that Nigeria could do better with fewer laws that were effectively implemented, and decried the frequent passage of laws by the 8th National Assembly, since its inception.
According to him, “too many conflicting laws and lack of implementation of the enacted laws have been the bane of the country”.
He challenged the legislature and the executive to work together so that laws made and assented to, would work for the people and the country.
“That is what we need,’’ he declared.
The former senator advised government to ensure that workers were paid “ living wages” commensurate with current economic realities, while deploying reasonable resources to necessary infrastructure like power, education, transport, health and security.
Makarfi suggested that the nation’s economy should be revived on the basis of realistic policies so as to make the lives of ordinary Nigerians more meaningful.
He cautioned against a situation where government keep borrowing to pay salaries, pointing out that it would not augur well for the nation’s economy.
He, however, expressed delight at the performances of some PDP governments, especially in0 Rivers and Gombe, saying that the party ‘s rating was still high across the country.
“I have been to some states and I have seen what they are doing; I am sure if I go to some other PDP states, I will see a lot of projects going on.”
He said that the governors had also been encouraged to carry the people along in their activities through wide consultation.
On the moves to re-position the PDP, he explained that efforts at engaging like minds across all the political parties were yielding “positive results”.
He, however, ruled out the possibility of renaming the PDP after the talks with those “ like-minds”.
On specific measures to enable PDP do well after losing Edo and Ondo governorship seats to the APC, Makarfi said that the PDP only lost Ondo state, adding that Edo was temporarily in the hands of APC “because the judgment from the tribunal may favour PDP.
“We lost one state. Edo state was temporarily taken away; the results are there. The judiciary is not cowed, so we believe that justice will prevail.’’
According to him, PDP clearly lost Ondo because of internal divisions within the party. (NAN)
OBE/OSA/ETS