Kogi-Assembly Vows To Surpass Legislative-Records With Impactful Bills (Details)

Kogi-Assembly Vows To Surpass Legislative-Records With Impactful Bills (Details)

Halidu Adejoh Usman, the chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and Justice and representative of Idah constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, has expressed the lawmakers’ commitment to surpassing the achievements of previous assemblies in passing impactful bills.

Speaking to journalists on Monday after a public hearing on various bills at the Kogi State Assembly complex in Lokoja, Usman emphasized the importance of involving stakeholders in the legislative process. “Bills are for the public. As an arm of government, this is our primary responsibility. For a bill not to be seen as anti-people, we have to invite all stakeholders to be part of deliberations before the final passage of the bill,” he said. “This is what we just demonstrated here today by inviting all critical stakeholders to have their input.”

Discussing specific bills examined during the hearing, Usman highlighted the significance of the anti-corruption bill. “There is a saying that evil unchecked grows, and the ones you tolerate poison the system. Having an anti-graft agency in Kogi State will help us check ourselves. We should not wait for the ICPC or other anti-graft agencies to come and check us. We will check ourselves first before any external body. This is more or less the best for our state. It will help the state to grow. There is no sector of the economy where you won’t find corruption,” he stated.

Usman noted that Kogi State is following the example of Kano State by domesticating this law, showcasing the state’s commitment to progress.

Regarding the bill for the establishment of an electricity regulatory agency in Kogi State, Usman highlighted the importance of protecting consumers’ rights. “You could hear the views of all the stakeholders present who all placed emphasis on the need to look into the activities of service providers in Kogi State. People pay electricity bills and they don’t get service for it. This bill is going to help re-address all these issues. We are aware that many Nigerians are being billed without meters through estimated bills and unverified figures. So, this bill will help citizens of the State to know their rights in areas where the regulatory body is trying to infringe on their rights,” he explained.

Usman expressed optimism about the current eighth Assembly’s potential to outperform previous ones. “The current eighth Assembly is one house that is well-coordinated. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the record of the previous assembly,” he concluded.