From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The 10th Benue State House of Assembly has passed 18 out of 27 bills in its first legislative session.
The Chairman, House Standing Committee on Information, Hon Elias Audu, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing newsmen on the performances in the First Legislative Session.
Audu told newsmen that the House received 27 bills, and passed 18 while six of the bills are in Committee while three are pending.
He stated that the House also received 20 reports, out of which 17 of them have been conclusively debated.
“Similarly, the House received and deliberated on Fifty-Two (52) substantive motions and adopted Ninety Five (95) major Resolutions during the period.
“The House received Nine (9) major Executive Communications including request to confirm Seventeen (17) nominees as Commissioners in the State Executive Council, Twenty-Three (23) nominees for appointment as Chairmen, Local Government Caretaker Committees and to approve the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) (2024 – 2026).”
He said the house also achieved successes in the area of law-making by passing some landmark legislation which included, A Bill for A Law to Prohibit Harassment and Extortion of Money from Investors, Developers and Businessmen in Benue State (Popularly called Marching Ground) and for Purposes Connected Therewith, 2023, A Bill for A Law to Provide for the Retirement Age and Enhanced Remuneration of Magistrates and Legal Officers in the Ministry of Justice and for Purposes Connected Therewith, 2024.
He also named “the Bill for a Law to Repeal the Maintenance of Former Elected Governors of Benue State and Their Deputies Law, 2023; The Benue State Civil Protection Guards (Establishment) Bill, 2024 and The Benue State Youth Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024.”
The chairman also stated that the Civil Protection Guards Establishment Bill already passed was a legislative intervention to end the incessant killings, and displacement of people of the state from their ancestral homes.
He stated that the decision to repeal life benefits for former governors has nothing to do with seeking vendetta but for the interest of the state.
He said, “It is imperative to mention here that the Civil Protection Guards Establishment Bill is a Legislative intervention to end the incessant killings and mindless displacement of our people from their ancestral homes by marauding herdsmen and the general insecurity in parts of the State so that our farmers can go back to work and produce enough crops to feed the State as well as improve their socio-economic conditions.
The chairman highlighted other critical bills that are at the last stage of passage to include, the Bill for A Law to Make Provision for the Establishment of the Benue State Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency.
“The Bill for A Law to Provide Free Snake Bite Treatment in Government Hospitals. While the Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency Bill when passed and assented by the Governor will be a game changer as it will provide the avenue for Donor Agencies and other Development Partners to assist the State in the provision of affordable drugs to our people.
“The Bill for Free Snake Bite Treatment will make it mandatory for government medical facilities to treat victims of Snake bite free of charge.
“These are bills that are targeted at improving the living standards of our people especially those in rural areas.”
He noted that the House is also bothered by the issues of insecurity saying that 12 out of all the Motions moved and debated on the Floor of the Assembly were Motions to draw the attention of the Executive Arm of Government and other security agencies to the security challenges within and around Benue State.
He pledged that the house would do more to ensure that they deliver on their mandates.
Going into the First Sitting of the Second Legislative Session, Audu appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia to ensure quick completion of the renovation work at the Assembly Complex to give them a conducive office accommodation that would enable them to perform their duties seamlessly.