By Gbenga Akingbule
Borno State Governor, Prof .Babagana Zulum, on Wednesday signed into law a bill to provide legal backing for the state to provide special support to victims of Boko Haram attacks.
Gatekeepers News reports that the new law which was “Borno State Social Investment Bill” is amongst eight other bills passed by the Borno State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governo Zulum at the Council Chambers of the Government House, Maiduguri.
The event had in attendance, principal officers of the Borno State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, AbdulKarim Lawan.
“The Social Investment Bill provides social services such as cash and consumables assistance to the victims of Boko Haram insurgency”, Zulum said.
Other bills signed into law include: Borno State Criminal Justice Administration Laws, The Borno State Penal Code Law, The Borno State Secondary Education Board Bill, Borno State Investment Protection Bill, Borno Primary Healthcare Development Bill, Borno State Drugs and Other Medical consumable Bill, Borno State Livestock Management Bill and the Borno Local Government Amendment Bill.
According to the Governor, ” Borno State Criminal Justice Administration Law will address the increasing cases of rape and political thuggery and those found involved in political thuggery risk seven (7) years imprisonment and their sponsors will also not go unpunished”, he said.
Zulum also said “Borno State Investment Protection Bill seeks to provide the state the powers to tap the vast mineral deposit in the state.” while the Drugs and Medical consumable bills seek to address the problem of scams and reduce the issue of fake and counterfeit drugs.
The governor explained that a government agency will not only be distributing drugs to government health facilities but will also sell to private pharmacies and health facilities.
Zulum commended the State House of Assembly for the cordial working relationship with the executive arm.
He said within the last four years, the executive arm sent about 70 bills to both the 9th and 10th Assembly from which most were passed by the House and assented to by him.
Earlier, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. AbdulKarim Lawan, said of the nine bills being signed, “three of the Bills were from the 9th Assembly, while six bills were from the 10th Assembly and all these bills were passed by the 10th Assembly.”
The speaker recalled that in the 9th Assembly, the House received a total of 67 bills all of which were passed while other bills were passed by the 10th Assembly.
He commended Governor Zulum for the cordial relationship between the House and the Executive.
