A bill for a law to establish the Kogi State anti-corruption agency passed the second reading in the state House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Presenting the lead debate on Tuesday, the lawmaker representing Okene state constituency, Suleiman Abdulrazak, noted that the bill, when passed into law, will assist the government in combating corruption in the state.
Abdulrazak, who is also the Majority Leader of the House, said the proposed Kogi State anti-graft agency was not being contemplated to rival federal anti-graft agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, but to complement them.
Also speaking, another lawmaker, Bin-Ebaiya Tijani, said the bill was important to ensure that “before an outsider will come to look at our book, an agency will be on the ground to say this has happened and this has not happened.”
Tijani said a 2015 incident in the state, which created a constitutional crisis in the country, had buttressed the point that laws were subject to being reviewed.
He said, “In the year 2015, our leader who was at the front of winning the election died, during the process. That situation in Kogi State threw the whole nation into confusion since such incidents were not captured in our constitution. When it happened, that was why there was a review of our constitution. That is the more reason I said this is coming at the right time.”
The lawmaker representing Igalamela/Odolu Constituency, Enefola Major, said corruption had been the bane of the Nigerian society, hence, the need to give the bill an express passage.
“Corruption is endemic in our society. Sadly, many Nigerians are corrupt. It is high time we all held the bull by the horns. I am appealing to our colleagues to join hands to support this bill,” he said.
The members representing Yagba West State Constituency, Idowu Ibikunle; Ajaokuta, Abu Jibrin; and Okene South, Yusuf Eneve, all threw their weight behind the bill to have a speedy passage.
The Speaker, Aliyu Yusuf, also described the bill as important, stressing that the Kogi anti-agency would not antagonise the federal anti-graft agencies.
“With this type of body in place, it will equally assist the House of Assembly in its oversight functions. Of course, for those of us who happen to be privileged in the position of approval, we will be very careful. If this body is established, it is not to antagonise any federal body but to collaborate with them and make our society a better place.
“Maybe some of the cases the federal government are losing as a result of a poor investigation or not having enough evidence, the state government will be able to provide them with more evidence, so that perpetrators will be brought to book,” the Speaker said.
The bill was subsequently committed to the House Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters.
The proposed Kogi State anti-graft agency is coming at a time when the EFCC is after the immediate-past governor, Yahaya Bello, over alleged N82.2bn fraud.
An attempt by the EFCC to arrest Bello in his Abuja was allegedly frustrated by incumbent Governor Usman Ododo, who allegedly whisked his predecessor away in his official vehicle, shielding him from the EFCC operatives.
Meanwhile, a bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the Kogi State Local Government Service Commission and a bill for a law to repeal and re-enact the Kogi State Scholarship Board Edict, 1998 also passed the second reading at the Kogi Assembly on Tuesday.
The lawmakers also considered a bill for a law to establish the Kogi State Electricity Market and the Kogi State Electricity Regulatory Commission to regulate electricity generation, transmission, system operation, distribution, supply, and promote access to electricity in the state.
