Civil Protection Guards bill scales second reading at Benue Assembly

A bill for a law to establish Benue Civil Protection Guards has been read for the second time on the floor of the House of Assembly.

Leading debate on the bill, the House Majority Leader, Mr Saater Tiseer, said Benue had been prone to attacks by various militias.

Tiseer said a speedy passage of the bill would enable the state to take charge of its own security and protection.

He, therefore, moved that the bill be read for the second time.

Seconding the motion for the second reading, the house Minority Leader, Mr Michael Audu, said the lawmakers valued the security of their constituents, and appealed to members to support the bill.

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In a unanimous decision, the house agreed that the bill be read a second time.

The Speaker, Mr Hyacinth Dajoh, invited the Clerk, Mr Bernard Nuleto, who read it for the second time; and was referred to the Rules and Business Committee for further legislative scrutiny.

In another development, the bill for a law to provide for retirement age and improve the remuneration of magistrates also passed a second reading on the floor of the house.

In a lead debate, the Majority Leader expressed worry that magistrates in the state did not have accommodation, protection and official vehicles.

He stated that the magistrates should be respected and protected so they could be motivated to do their jobs.

“Imagine a magistrate, who is handling a kidnapping or terrorism case and he is still using a motorcycle as his means of transportation, that one is already open to attacks,” he explained.

He moved that the bill be read for the second time and it was seconded by Audu.

The house agreed that the bill be read for the second time, and so the speaker also referred it to the Rules and Business Committee for further scrutiny.