The Edo State House of Assembly made significant strides in legislation on Tuesday, with the passage of the bill to enact the Edo State College of Health Sciences and Technology Law 2023.
The bill sailed through successfully after the presentation and deliberation of the report by the House Committee on Health.
In another development, a bill seeking to regulate fishery activities in Edo State made progress as it successfully passed its second reading during the plenary.
Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian, the Majority Leader, passionately led the debate, emphasizing the need for this bill to safeguard water bodies and regulate fishery practices within the state. The bill received overwhelming support from other lawmakers.
Subsequently, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, instructed the bill to be referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. The committee was given a specific mandate to provide a report within two days.
Addressing a group of tipper drivers from the Tipper Drivers Association who were protesting at the assembly, the Speaker assured them that their grievances had been duly noted. The association had submitted a petition against the current chairman, alleging misconduct.
To address the matter, the Speaker directed the warring parties to send 10 delegates each to the house for a meeting with an ad-hoc committee assigned to handle the issue.
Rt. Hon. Agbebaku assured the protesters that the house, which includes seven lawyers, would thoroughly investigate the alleged suspensions and determine their legality.
Earlier, Mr. Joseph Idahosa, the leader of the tipper drivers, highlighted their concerns, including constitutional amendments made by the current chairman to extend his tenure illegally and suspensions of members who opposed his actions. Idahosa implored the house to intervene and stressed that more than 160 aggrieved members had been unjustly deprived of their livelihoods for over five months.
