The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed two landmark legislations aimed at overhauling the state’s emergency response apparatus and tackling the widespread menace of indiscriminate littering and infrastructure defacement across the state.
The enactments, which were approved during plenary on Wednesday following rigorous clause-by-clause consideration, include the Kogi State Fire and Rescue Agency Bill, 2026, and the Kogi State Public Littering and Defacement Control Bill, 2026. The new fire services legislation effectively repeals the outdated 2007 framework, establishing an updated structure designed to modernise emergency response capabilities and better safeguard lives and property.
Speaking shortly after the bills were read for the third time and adopted, Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, praised lawmakers and relevant standing committees for their diligence. He noted that the existing fire service structure had become largely moribund and inadequate for modern demands, emphasizing that the new law would reposition the agency as a proactive and reliable emergency unit capable of responding swiftly to incidents across all local government areas.
Turning to the anti-littering measure, Speaker Yusuf stressed that the legislation was essential to restoring urban order, improving public aesthetics, and safeguarding community health. He warned that indiscriminate dumping of waste and defacement of public or private infrastructure go beyond visual pollution, creating severe environmental hazards and breeding grounds for disease outbreaks. The Speaker stated firmly that strict enforcement mechanisms embedded in the law will send a clear message that environmental degradation carries stiff legal consequences.
While expressing optimism that the executive assent to both bills will transform public behavior, enhance sanitation, and bolster disaster management, the Speaker noted that administrative finalisation remains underway. The House directed that the specific schedules accompanying the Fire and Rescue Agency Bill be fully concluded before the clean copies of the legislations are formally transmitted to the Executive Governor for assent.
