MAJOR CONSTRAINTS OF THE COMMISSION

INSUFFICIENT FUNDS
Inadequate funding by Government for its operation mainly hampers the Commission’s efforts. Over the years now the funds approved for the Commission for its overheads expenditure remained too small to arrange any National Workshop on its reform project. It has also not been possible to host the National Conference of law reform agencies in Nigeria because of the shoestring budget it operated. An insight into the Commission’s funding is as follows:

In the year 2000, the Commission requested for the sum N692.05m for its capital expenditure. While N24.12m was appropriated, only N4.2m was actually released to the Commission. For overhead cost, while the Commission requested for N288.85m, only N27.87m was appropriated.

Also in the year 2001, the Commission requested for the sum of N936.72m for its capital expenditure. While the sum of N21.03m was appropriated, only N10.51m was released to the Commission for the year. For overhead costs, while the Commission requested for N364.50m, while N48.85 was appropriated only N25.16m was released to the Commission.

Similarly, in the year 2002, for its capital expenditure, while the sum of N33.75m was appropriated, nothing was released to the Commission for the year. For overhead costs, while N14.97m was appropriated only N7.49m was released to the Commission.

Again, in the year 2003, nothing was appropriated for the Commission’s capital expenditure. For overhead costs, while N8.98m was appropriated only N7.61M was released to the Commission.

SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
In spite of the approved staff establishment of 49 lawyers to man the three Legal Departments, there are less than 20 Lawyers presently in the employment of the Commission. Over the years, a high turnover of staff had been recorded while government placed an embargo on recruitment for some years now.