Fifteen states’ House of Assemblies have passed 59 bills and 40 motions in one year, Saturday PUNCH investigation revealed.
This was gathered in a series of news published by The PUNCH, Saturday and Sunday PUNCH within the year.
The State House of Assembly is saddled with the responsibility of assessing and approving bills being sent to its organ of government thoroughly before assenting.
These bills are expected to drive development and support governmental activities in these states to smoothly execute their duties.
Some of the states that passed these bills include Nasarawa, Ogun, Benue, Ekiti, Anambra, Kogi, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Abia, Osun, Taraba, Imo, Kano, Yobe and Rivers States.
In this sequence, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly passed the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N199.9 billion.
This was made known by the speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Danladi Jatau, 20th of December, 2023.
Disclosing this during a special plenary held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital on June 22nd, the Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker, Daisi Elemide, said the state legislature passed seven bills, sent them to the governor for assent and also moved 24 motions in the last year.
In Benue State, the State House of Assembly disclosed that an Executive Bill named ‘Benue State Civil Protection Guards (Establishment) Law 2024’ will be passed.
Also, the Ekiti State House of Assembly successfully said it had passed 13 bills into law the last legislative year.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Babatunde Oke, on 4th of June, 2024.
In the same vein, the Anambra State House of Assembly passed a bill for a law to prohibit secret cultism and similar activities and to provide for related matters.
The Bayelsa State House of Assembly also passed the state’s Medical Residency Bill, 2024, into law following its third reading.
Similarly, the Kogi State House of Assembly passed the social investment programme bill and a bill for a law to establish the Kogi State College of Agriculture has been passed through second reading.
Likewise, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly said it had passed 16 laws and six motions within one year.
Also, the Abia State House of Assembly passed a bill to stop the payment of pensions to former governors and their deputies in the state.
It is entitled, “A Bill (H.A.B 11:) for a Law to Revoke The Abia State Governors and Deputy Governors Pensions Law No 4 of 2001 and for other Matters connected therewith.”
Following suit, the Osun State Governor, Mr Ademola Adeleke, assented to a bill adopting a new logo for the state, describing the new symbol as a signal of new rebirth for Osun and the Osun State House of Assembly passed the bill seeking the establishment of a public complaints and anti-corruption commission for the state.
The Taraba State House of Assembly passed a bill aimed at ending a 28-year tussle over a traditional stool in the Takum Local Government Area of the state.
Also, a bill was passed by the Imo State House of Assembly to make skill acquisition and craftsmanship mandatory in primary/secondary schools and also to make the establishment of same in tertiary institutions in the state mandatory.
Furthermore, the Kano State House of Assembly repealed the law that had established five Emirates in the state, effectively removing all current Emirs except for the central Emir of Kano.
The Yobe State House of Assembly passed eight out of 10 bills it received, 10 resolutions, as well as petitions within one year.
Meanwhile, a bill was passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly amending the Rivers State Local Government Bill into law by overriding the assent of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Reacting to bills passed, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, lamented that despite passing bills, the lawmakers often fail to translate them into laws that positively impact the lives of Nigerians at large.
