Edo State House of Assembly has passed two executive bills to different committees of the house for their final inputs.
The first bill, a law to establish a body corporate to be known as Edo State Signage and Advertisement Agency was at the end of deliberation by the lawmakers referred to the House committee on Environment with the Speaker of the house, Rt.Hon. Marcus Onobun giving the committee two weeks to report back to the house.
Speaking on the bill, the Majority Leader, Hon. Henry Okhuarobo said that its merits “are overwhelming at a time when the state government is looking at boosting the economy and doing a lot to strengthen the empowerment of people and employment industry.
“The arrival is welcome. A lot of things go in favour of it. It will provide policy guidelines and regulation for the development of a vibrant signage and advertisement in our state.”
In his own contribution to the deliberation, Hon. Ephraim Otaigbe Aluebhosele, the Deputy Whip of the house, said signage and advertisement is a big business, adding that if the bill is passed into law it will enable the regulation of advertisement in the state.
“We also know that been a source of revenue for the state it is very ideal for the body to be regulated.”
He affirmed that if the state takes a cue from some other states that have already taken a similar step the huge revenue accruable to such state can also be replicated in Edo State.
The Deputy Whip advised that all efforts should be geared towards ensuring that quacks are not allowed to operate the business as it would lead to the state’s revenue been reaped.
Going further, Aluebhosele stated that if Edo State have such a body “it would help in policy guidance for the different actors in the signage industry. This bill will also add colour to the physical planning law of our state.”
He affirmed that the bill is long overdue as it will bring orderliness to the way and manner that billboards are erected especially in highly populated areas.
Emmanuel Okoduwa, the Chief Whip of the house, while lending his voice in support of the bill, said that it will eliminate the issue of multiple taxation and will also generate employment.
In his own submission, the Speaker of the house, Hon. Marcus Onobun, asserted that the passage of the bill into law “will eliminate some environmental hazards and help to engage and develop our youths.”
The second bill which also was deliberated on for the second reading is to establish the Edo State College of Education and for other purposes connected therein.
In his contribution, Hon. Aluebhosele, who represents Igueben constituency in the house, gave kudos to the state government for its initiative in establishing the three schools one per each senatorial district – Abudu(South), Igueben(Central) and Afuze(North).
He described education as a major aspect of Nigeria’s development, adding that the education sector is a priority in the state 2020/21 budget proposal as presented by Governor Godwin Obaseki recently.
The Deputy Whip added that the establishment of the three schools is a bold step and that education is very dynamic.
Speaker of the house, Hon. Marcus Onobun, thereafter referred the bill to the House committee on Education “for proper scrutiny.”
The seating was adjourned to Wednesday, November 25th, 2020.
