Kwara stakeholders brainstorm on passage of bills into law

Ali Ahmad

An all inclusive Stakeholders in Kwara State have expressed desirability for the passage of three Bills currently before the state House of Assembly into law.

The Stakeholders gave the indication in Ilorin, at a public hearing, organised by the state House of Assembly, to harvest public opinion  for final passage of the bills into law.

On one of the bills, which seeks to prohibit dealings in human parts, Kwarans unanimously changed  the Punishment aspect of the bill to include a minimum of 10 years of jail term, in addition to heavy fine.

Participants were opposed to provision of fine as substitute to imprisonment.

The other bills seeks to expand the areas in which sale and consumption of liquors are prohibited, to be sold or openly consumed, from 11 to 26 areas.

The Stakeholders,  noted with displeasure that sales of human parts and liquors in the state, were alien and against the core value and tenets of the two dominant religions of the people of the state.  

The Stakeholders agreed with the third Bill, which seeks to stop payment of Pension to former Governors and Deputy Governors who hold another Political or  Public Office.

They therefore called for quick assent by the Governor and  speedy implementation of the laws, by the state Ministry of Justice and the Police. 

Among the stakeholders that made both written and oral presentations, at the Public hearing, were Jamat Nasir Islamic Society of Nigeria, the Christian Association of Nigeria( CAN), the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)led by its Chairman Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressive Union( IEDPU), the Secretary to the State Government, Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),  Human Development  Foundation Institute, the Obasegun of Kwara State and Concerned Muslim Organization led by Professor Badmus  Lanre Yusuf.

Earlier, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad in his speech, described the involvement of the people, as a vital ingredient of law making process and assured that objective and constructive submissions on each of the bills, would be considered by the legislature,in the final passage of the Bills into law.