Sokoto Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Suleiman Usman, has described the state’s laws as obsolete and irrelevant to the present situations.

“Most of the laws have become obsolete or irrelevant to present situations,” Mr Usman said during a press conference on Thursday.

He said the laws were last compiled and published in 1996, therefore should be modernised and updated, noting that the document will be reproduced by July.

“The effort is to produce enhanced laws and documents for the administration of criminal justice at the law courts and to enhance government’s programmes and policies.

Mr Usman said the reproduced documents will comprise all aspects of human lives including education, health, child protection, and others.

“The reality has emerged that we need more than a review; we must fill existing gaps by ensuring that laws that are not in existence, but which are necessary are enacted.

“Obsolete laws will be modernised and updated while redundant laws are repealed before we embark on consolidation and publication of new Laws of Sokoto State 2021,’’ Mr Usman said.

According to the commissioner, the exercise would be conducted by lawyers in the employment of the state government in conjunction with private practitioners and would entail visitations to relevant ministries and agencies.

Also, civil society and faith-based organisations would be involved to avoid any negative impact of the exercise and a hearing would be held for stakeholders to make their contributions.

Mr Usman said no fewer than 25 laws were enacted during the present administration of Governor Aminu Tambuwal aimed at improving the government’s prudence and enhancing the wellbeing of citizens.

“In fact, in the preface of the Laws of Sokoto State 1996, the Law Review Commissioners stated that there is evidence of considerable confusion in the legislative process in Sokoto State in 1982-83.

“Successive Attorneys-General in the state endeavoured to clarify the gaps in their records to no avail.

“The commissioners decided that it would be unreasonable to delay the publication of the revision any longer since other northern states have completed and published their revisions,’’ he added.

(NAN)