By Peter Amine
The Plateau State House of Assembly has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide assistance to victims of recent rainstorm in some parts of Pankshin Local Government Area.
The directive followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Mr Gabriel Dewan (YPP/Pankshin North), at plenary on Tuesday
Dewan decried the damage by rainstorm, saying that it destroyed many houses, classrooms, market places and other properties worth millions.
After much contributions from members, Speaker of the House, Moses Sule, directed SEMA to visit the affected areas and assess the damages so as to provide succour to the affected persons.
”SEMA’s intervention is needed to ameliorate the sufferings of the affected people, especially the students, in order not to jeopardise their educational pursuits,” he said.
Also at plenary, a seven-man ad hoc committee to look into two bills that had passed second reading in the assembly was constituted.
The speaker announced the committee after the Clerk of the assembly, Ponven Wuyep, gave the bills a second reading.
The two bills included the bill for a law to establish the Plateau State Law Reform Commission and other related matters, and the bill for a law to establish the Plateau State Citizens Mediation Centre.
The bills were all standing in the name of the Majority Leader of the assembly, Ishaku Maren.
According to Maren, the bill for the establishment of the Plateau State Law Reform Commission, if passed into law, would serve as a coordinating centre for all the state laws and local government by-laws
The majority leader added that the proposed commission would document all laws in the state, adding that it would also ensure such laws were properly gazetted.
Contributing, Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Gwattson Fom, said that the commission, if established, would serve as a reservoir where citizens would access all the state laws with ease.
Fom added that the commission would also help to harmonise all laws in the state to avert duplication.
On the bill for the proposed Plateau State Citizens Mediation Centre, the deputy speaker explained that the centre, if established, would serve as an avenue for alternative dispute resolution.
”Disagreements such as land disputes, royalty dispute, disputes between landlord and tenants, among other domestic or internal disputes in the state can be addressed at the centre with ease,” Fom said.
On his part, Mr Kalamu Isa (APC/ Dengi), noted that if established, the centre would serve as a place to broker peace between waring people.
“It also reduce the huge legal fees paid by citizens to access the services of lawyers over minor disputes.”
After much deliberations, the house gave the committee, chaired by its deputy speaker, two weeks to submit its report
Other members of the committee are Aliyu Ibrahim, (APC/Jos North-North), Nannim Lagyi (PDP/Langtang North-North) and Cornelius Dongnaan (PDP/Quanpan South)
The committee also has as members, Happiness Akawu (PDP/Pengana), Kalamu Isa (PDP/Dengi) and Joseph Gokum(APC/Kanke) as members.
Also at plenary, the house received report of its ad hoc committee government’s request seeking it approval to secure a loan of N15 billion.
Government had cited plans to settle backlog of salary arrears of civil servants and for the purchase of agricultural inputs for farmers in the state as rationale for the facility.
Also at plenary, speaker of assembly, announced the appointment Mr Peter Tongshep and Mr Nanchwat Napchang as his Press Secretary and Chief of Staff, respectively.
The speaker also announced Joseph Bukar (APC/Shendam) as the Minority Leader of the assembly.
(NAN)
