The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to release the N10bn voted in the 2019 Appropriation Act for the rehabilitation of people and communities affected by banditry in Zamfara State.
The House made the call at the plenary on Thursday after adopting a motion moved by Mr Bello Shinkafi, based on the recent visit by a delegation led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to the affected areas.
Adopting the motion, the lawmakers resolved to commend the Speaker for his leadership initiative and expression of love for the people of Zamfara, as exhibited during his visit to assess the situation and influence fruitful peace process.
They also urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to “release the N10bn budgetary allocation for Zamfara State as captured in the 2019 Appropriation Act, in order to facilitate and fast-track the process of the rehabilitation and resettlement of victims of insecurity in Zamfara State,” while mandating the House Committee on Finance to ensure compliance.
Shinkafi, while moving the motion, said, “The insecurity has destroyed the social values and economic standing of the state as well as the means of livelihood of millions of people, such that the focus should now be on peace initiative to ensure the rebuilding, resettlement and rehabilitation of the ravaged parts of the state.
“The House is concerned that the economic situation in the state is pathetic, which accounted for the provision of N10bn in the 2019 Appropriation Act, for the resettlement and rehabilitation of the ravaged state. Economic empowerment through rehabilitation and resettlement is key to attaining sustainable peace in the state.”
Meanwhile, the House has called on the Federal Government to declare emergency in drug abuse in Nigeria, while asking for more fund and personnel to make the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency efficient.
At the plenary on Thursday, the House unanimously adopted a motion moved by two members, Francis Agbo and Olusola Fatoba, entitled, ‘Need to declare emergency in the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.’
The House further urged the Federal Government to establish functional rehabilitation centres that would have the status of specialist hospitals with psychiatrists, psychologists, toxicologists, professional counsellors and other relevant experts.
In addition, the lawmakers called on the NDLEA and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and other relevant agencies to develop and enforce a national prescription policy, while mandating the Committees on Narcotic Drugs, Health Care Services and Legislative Compliance to ensure implementation and report back in three months for further legislative action.
Moving the motion, Agbo said, “The country is fast transiting from a corridor to a nest of barons who possess enormous resources with which they live ostensibly, while glamourising both drug trafficking and its abuse, a situation that has negatively impacted on the youths, thus luring many of them into the venture as a result of which Nigeria has been rated by a recent statistics of the NDLEA as having the highest number of its citizens serving jail terms for drug-related offences across the world.”
The sponsors added that the development was linked to the continued upsurge in criminal activities such as rape, cultism, kidnappings, armed robbery, banditry and even accidents, all of which have created unacceptable burden on individuals, families, communities and the country at large.
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