Running of FCT difficult due to obsolete laws —Minister

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammadu Bello, has raised the alarm that most of the laws in the territory had become obsolete and made running of the Abuja City Centre  difficult.

He said that the FCT administration needed to review the laws to make them more stringent to enable it effectively cope with the influx of people into the territory.

According to him, when the laws were more stringent, offenders would be made to face the consequences of their actions or inactions thereby serving as deterrent.

Speaking while exchanging views with the acting chairman of the Nigerian Law Reforms Commission(NLRC), Mr Kefas Musa Magaji, the minister frowned at a situation where law breakers in Abuja were, for instance, given N2,000 option of fine which can easily be paid.

Bello argued that the development and growth of Abuja ought to be matched with vibrant laws that were stringent enough to deter offenders.

He insisted that the penalty in FCT laws were not in tandem with the reality of the time and not serving as deterrent as it was supposed to.

The minister noted that the FCT laws ought to be reviewed to help, guide and assist city managers.

Earlier, Magaji had said  that every law needed to be reviewed every  10 years to conform with the  current  reality as there is no way the society would move forward when the laws are  outdated.

He recalled that the commission last reviewed the FCT laws in 2006.