TWO BILLS UP FOR PUBLIC HEARING MONDAY AT DELTA STATE ASSEMBLY

The Delta State House of Assembly will on Monday 9th September 2024, hold public hearings on two Bills currently undergoing legislative processes in the Assembly.

They are a Bill for a law to prohibit all forms of human trafficking in the state and another for a law to strengthen the existing law on licensing, control and registration of pets in the state.

The public hearings are billed for 10am and 2:00 pm at the Press Center, Assembly Complex, Okpanam road, Asaba.

The Chairman, House Committee on Housing, Women Affairs, Girl Child Entrepreneurship and Humanitarian Support Services, Hon Bridget Anyafulu, has called for memoranda from critical stakeholders as their input is key to the enactment of the proposed law for the prohibition of human trafficking.

According to her, memoranda were being expected from the Ministry of Justice, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Special Adviser to the Governor on Human Trafficking Matters, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl Child Development, Ministry of Youth Development, and Ministry of Information.

Others are the Delta State Job & Wealth Creation Office, Delta State Orientation Bureau, the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Traditional Rulers’ Council, NGO’s that specialize in counter-trafficking of persons, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Directorate of Peace and Security and the general public”.

Hon Anyafulu who represents Oshimili South Constituency in the House in the statement, said all memoranda should be in ten copies enclosed in sealed envelopes, addressed to the Committee marked “Delta State Human Trafficking Prohibition Bill”, to reach the Clerk of the Committee on or before close of work on Monday, 9th September, 2024.

Similarly on Pets Control Bill,  the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Perkins Umukoro, recalled that the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor had at the sitting of the House on Tuesday 2nd July, 2024, referred the bill to a Joint Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health, Environment, Oil and Gas for further legislative scrutiny.

Hon Umukoro therefore requested relevant stakeholders, particularly the Delta State Ministries of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health, Environment, Oil and Gas as well as Justice to submit memoranda to the Committee on or before the date for public hearing.

He urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as well as the State Chapter of Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association to be part of the public hearing by forwarding memoranda to the committee.

All memoranda, according to Hon Umukoro, who represents Sapele Constituency and Chief Whip of the House, should be in 12 copies and, enclosed in sealed enveloped.

Such memoranda should be addressed to the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and marked; “Delta State Pet Control and Responsible Ownership Bill, 2024, to reach the Clerk of the committee before Monday, 9th September, 2024.