The Chairman, House committee on Judiciary and Justice and member representing Idah State Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly Hon. Halidu Adejoh Usman said the current lawmakers will surpass the previous Assemblies records in the passage of bills that will make meaningful impact on the people and development of the State.
Hon. Usman disclosed this on Monday while speaking to Assembly Correspondents shortly after the public hearing on various bills held at the Assembly complex in Lokoja.
The Lawmaker noted that the current assembly is poised in passing laws which will writes the names of the lawmakers in gold in the history of Kogi State.
” Bills are for the public. We as a 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.
“This is what we just demonstrated here today by inviting all critical stakeholders to have their input. This bills is for the people. Is not for animals. People are here to look at the bills and evaluate those that will benefits them more”.
On some of the bills in which the lawmakers examined during the public hearing alongside critical stakeholders in the State, the first time Lawmaker said “For the anti corruption bills, there is a saying that evils unchecked grows and the ones you tolerates poison the system. When you have an anti graft agency in Kogi State, it will help us check ourselves.
“We should not wait for the ICPC or other anti graft agency 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 that you won’t find corruption.
“I must congratulates the State Governor for taking the bold steps that we should have such law in Kogi State. It will help us checkmate ourselves and I think this is very important and you can see the positive reactions from the Civil Society group that they are happy with this bill.
” Out there in Kano, they have domesticated this law. We are having a repeat of it in Kogi, it shows our State is working for progress.
“Concerning the bill for the establishment of electricity regulatory agency in Kogi State, 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.
“In this bill, we are looking at how customers are not always protected, and we are here for the people. That is why you see alot of people present at this public hearing expressing their opinions on this. People pay electricity bills and they don’t get service for it. This bill is going to help re-address all this issues.
“We are aware that many Nigerians are being billed without meters through estimated bill, and unverified figures. So, this bill will help Citizens of the State to know their rights in areas where the regulatory body are trying to infringe on their right.
“This are things which we are looking in the coming days and months. When eventually passed, it will ensure that we give it a public awareness so that the people will know that there is such a law in Kogi State and has been implemented”.
He assured the people of Kogi State that the current eight Assembly will not disappoint their constituents.
“The current eight Assembly is one house that is well coordinated. I am very optimistic that we will surpass the record of the previous assembly,” he added.
