The Nigerian House of Representatives has reaffirmed it’s commitment to provide a legal framework for the implementation of treaties protocols and agreement the country entered into.
The Speaker House of Reps, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila stated this at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Treaties Protocols and Agreement.
The Speaker who was represented by Alh. Nassir Daura noted that the bill when passed intends to make the laws on treaties and protocols fully compliant with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution to aligned with global best practices.
“This is because the existing law is the product of a military decree, and as such is an aberration that ought not to still exist twenty years after we returned to democratic government in Nigeria.
When this amendment Bill becomes law, it will make our laws on treaties and protocols fully compliant with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and ensure that in this important area, we are aligned with global best practices,” he said.
The Committee Chairman Dr. Ossai Nicholas maintained that the bill will provide a legislative framework that will put Nigeria at par with other nations in terms of protocols, treaties and agreements entered into.
Dr. Ossai said, “It is common Nigeria is a state party to over 400 International Instruments but less than 5% have been domesticated while over 95% of the Treaties, Protocols, Agreements, Conventions, Pacts, Accords have not been operationalized into becoming part of Nigerian laws.
You can therefore imagine us losing out from the benefits derivable from such Instruments after much public resources have gone into their negotiations and adoption.
As worrisome as this development is, some of these instruments may have been selectively internalized through a process of Executive fiat which is a clear infringement of our Constitution.”
The Director General Law Reforms Commission Prof. Jummai Audi noted that Nigeria is yet to domesticate most of the treaties and protocols entered into.
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