Benue Assembly urges Gov. Alia to complete renovation work on Assembly Complex
…Present scorecard within one year
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
As the 10th Benue State House of Assembly set to resume the first sitting of the second legislative session, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Elias Terkumbur Audu, has appealed to the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, to ensure the speedy completion of the renovation work at the Assembly Complex to avail members conducive office accommodation that will enable them to seamlessly perform their constitutional duties.
Hon. Audu made the request while addressing journalists during a press conference marking one year anniversary of the 10th Benue State House of Assembly at the Assembly Complex in Makurdi.
“It could be recalled that immediately the Tenth Assembly was inaugurated, the Governor seeing the dilapidated nature of the assembly complex, graciously approved the commencement of the total renovation of the Assembly Complex which is aimed at providing conducive working environment for the Speaker, Principal Officers, Members and Staff of the Assembly. It is however regrettable that in our First Legislative Session, we have been compelled to function without offices, while our plenary sittings are being conducted in Government House.
“When you look at our major challenge of not having offices in the last one year vis-a-vis what we have been able to achieve, you will have no choice but to agree with me that the Tenth Benue State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, Hon. Aondona Dajoh, has not disappointed the people of the State,” Hon. Audu maintained.
Hon. Audu also explained that in the House First Legislative Session, the House recorded some modest achievements which are worthy of note to include; receipt of Twenty-Seven (27) Bills, passed Eighteen (18), Six (6) of the Bills are in Committees while three (3) are pending.
“The House also received Twenty (20) Reports, out of which Seventeen (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).
“To set in motion the machinery of Government in such a manner that Government business would commence without delay, the House expeditiously screened and approved Mr. Governor’s Commissioner nominees and that of Special Advisers to enable His Excellency, the Governor to constitute a formidable State Executive Council to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Benue State,” he stated.
According to him, the House also screened and confirmed the Chairman and members of the State Independent Electoral Commission to set the stage for the conduct of Local Government Elections and give impetus to the autonomy of the third tier of Government in Benue State.
“It is instructive to note that in the conduct of our Constitutional responsibilities as an Assembly, we are very much aware of what is expected of us either as Lawmakers and as the representatives of our various Constituencies. This is why the House has been very thorough in scrutinising those that are nominated for appointments by the Governor.
“Where there are no issues with such nominations, we allow them to pass but in instances where there are issues with such a nomination, the House has stood its grounds in ensuring that the right thing is done. The case of Dr. Vincent Gisaor, who was nominated to be screened as Secretary designate of the State Independent Electoral Commission, is a case in point. The House denied him confirmation at first to prove to Benue people that we are not only independent but also that people should be held accountable for their actions and inactions.
“At this juncture, let me throw more light on our successes in the area of law-making, which is our primary responsibility as a House. Apart from painstakingly screening and having heads of MDAs to defend their budgetary estimates, the 2024 Financing and Appropriation Bills, which are the foundation of government financing, were passed before the December, 31st, 2023, deadline despite its late submission to the House by the Executive. This is a mark of our commitment and support for the Executive Arm of Government to succeed.
“Some of the landmark legislation passed by the House include, 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, A 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,” Hon. Audu explained.
“The Assembly also saw the repeal of the ‘Maintenance of Former Elected Governors and their Deputies’ Law necessary to ease the huge burden it placed on the lean resources of the State, and this was done in the overall interest of the State and it has nothing to do with seeking vendetta or trying to get at anybody in particular.
“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. As a way of halting the negative trend of harassment and extortion of money from Land Developers in the State by some unscrupulous youths, the Bill to criminalise ‘Marching Ground’ has become more relevant now than ever before.
“The passage of the Bill for a Law to establish the Benue State Youth Development Commission on the other hand is in recognition of the importance of youths in our society and the need to mainstream their issues in governance as a panacea to provide a platform by which their interest will be projected and promoted through trainings, credit facilities and gainful employments.
“The objectives of the Commission when established will end youth restiveness and help to achieve the Governor Alia-led administration’s dreams of resourceful youth population and a peaceful Benue,” He explained.
The committee chairman on information disclosed that other very critical bills that are at the last stage of passage include, the Bill for A Law to Make Provision for the Establishment of the Benue State Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency and the Bill for A Law to Provide Free Snake Bite Treatment in Government Hospitals.
He stated that 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 the 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. One issue that has bothered us so much in our First Legislative Session is the issue of insecurity. That is why no fewer than Twelve out of all the Motions moved and debated on the Floor of the Assembly were Motions to draw attention of the Executive Arm of Government and other security agencies to the security challenges within and around Benue State,” he said.
