Enugu Assembly passes 23 executive bills, 14 motions to end 8th Assembly second session

 

The Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu has announced that  the state Assembly passed 23 executive bills and 14 motions during the second 8th Assembly session.

Ugwu, disclosed this at a plenary on Wednesday which ended the second session to usher in the Third legislative session that would commence on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

He also disclosed that among the impactful bills passed into law include the Enugu State Electricity Regulatory Bill;  New Enugu City Management Bill and the Enugu State Geographic Information System, EGIS Bill, among others.

On the motions which he described as ‘problems solving motions,’ were the call for the dismounting and removal of road blocks mounted by the military along Ugwuonyeama/Ninth Mile Road and the stoppage of the Road Safety officials from operating on state roads instead of the Federal Roads.

In a related development, the bill seeking to provide internal security titled: “A bill for a law to provide for the maintenance of Internal Security, Vigilance and Order in the State and for Other Connected Purposes, House Bill No.b7, 2025,” passed a second reading.

Contributing to the debate on the Bill, Hon. Iloabuchi Aniagu, member representing Nkanu West State Constituency, said that when passed, it would reduce insecurity in the state by 60%.

Aniagu also said that the Bill would end the crisis between the traditional rulers and President Generals of Town Unions as to who would oversee security in their communities.

His words: “if the bill is passed, it will reduce insecurity up to sixty percent and it will also stop the PG and the Igwe dragging who should be in charge of security in their community.”

He posited that the bill when passed will make the landlords and hotel owners to put surveillance cameras in their areas to check and track criminals, adding that it would also check the white garment church leaders and native doctors from taking undue advantage of the citizens.

On his part, the member representing Igbo-Eze South, Hon Harrison Ogara, while appreciating the bill said that it came late, that it was something that should have been done years ago to check evils men commit in the name of religion or traditional medical practice.

Ogara lamented that had such law been in place, incidences such as the killing of four children of the same parents in his constituency by a so-called man of God and that of the native doctor that buried people alive at Ezeagu would not have taken place.

“I rise to support the bill.  It is timely but left to me, it came late but no time is late.  It is a waiting time bomb that would consume everybody,” he said but pointed out that, “with the bill, there should be a circumspection of how people should practice their religion.”

The lawmaker, however urged the executive to implement the bill when passed to achieve the desired motive it is designed to accomplish.

Hon. Chima Obieze, representing Ezeagu lamented that the bill was overdue and should have been enacted before now to check crimes.  He lamented that people do horrible things in the name of religion and tradition practice and should be stopped.

“I concur with some portions of the bill.  We need to checkmate the so-called churches who indulge in crimes in the name of Jesus Christ,” he declared.

The member representing Udi South, Hon. Okey Aneke, lamented the rate young men are rushing into traditional worship and kidnapping in order to make big and quick money and suggested that anybody found with human parts should be arrested no matter where he obtained the human body parts.

“Many guys are into kidnapping.  The rate young people are getting into traditional worship is alarming.  Anybody found with human parts should be arrested; he is a killer.  There is no Okeite without human parts,” he points out.

Hon. Osita Eze, representing Oji River State Constituency lamented that native doctors were causing eyesore and environmental degradation by indulging in animal sacrifices with blood and feathers and other objects and place them at corners of the road.  

“The native doctors are causing eyesore by desecrating the streets and water fountains.  Any person seen doing ritual with human parts should be arrested and penalized.  I sincerely support the bill,” he suggested.