Nasarawa State House of Assembly has recommended that a 10 years window period be granted to judges of Area courts without a degree in Law to obtain the qualification for effective Judicial service delivery in the state.
Speaker of the House, Balarabe Abdullahi, stated this during deliberation on the report of the House Standing Committee of Judiciary, Ethics, and Previladges on a Bill For a Law to Amend the Nasarawa State Area Courts Law 2022 and For Other Matters Related Therewith during the House proceeding in Lafia.
He said that the proposed amendment of the bill came as a result of implementing the principal law passed in 2022.
“Going by the principal law, if it is to be implemented it will lay off some staff of the Judiciary, for fear of this, hence the need to amend the principal law.
” The principal law provides that for one to be a judge of the Upper Area Court one must be a legal practitioner with at least 4 years post call.
” And for one to be a judge of an Area Court you must be a legal practitioner with at least 3 years post call.
” The Committee is of strong recommendation that a window period of 10 years be granted to the affected staff to enrol into a degree program of Law to be called to bar for them to fit in.“
The Speaker, then slated Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 for the third reading of the bill as well as Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 for the third reading of a bill for a law to establish the Nasarawa State Information Technology Development Agency and other related matters.
The House also slated Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 for the third reading of a Bill for a Law to Establish the Nasarawa State Erosion, Watershed and Climate Change Agency ( NASEWCCA) and Other Matters Connected Therewith.
The Speaker stated the dates during the house deliberation on the bills.
In a related development, three bills scaled second reading on the floor of the House, they are.
A Bill For a Law to Amend the Nasarawa State College of Nursing and Midwifery Law, 2021 and other Matters Connected Therewith scaled second reading
The Speaker committed the bill to the House Committee on Health to work on it and report back to the House in a week
Also, A Bill For a Law to Amend the Number of Judges of the Superior Courts of Record Law 2001 and for Related Matters scaled Second reading.
The Speaker committed the bill to the House Committee on Judiciary to work on it and report back to the House in a week.
A Bill For a Law to Repeal and Re-enact the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Service Commission Law and Other Related Matters scaled second reading.
The Speaker set up a 7 Man Ad-hoc Committee to work on the bill and report back to the House in 10 days.
Umar Tanko Tunga, the Majority Leader of the House moved motions for the bills to scale to second reading respectively.
Also, the House received the report of the Joint Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development/ Public Account on a Bill for a Law to Establish the Nasarawa State Social Investment Agency Charged With the Responsibility of Tackling Poverty, Ensuring Equitable Distribution of Resources and Economic Growth in the State and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.
The Speaker slated Tuesday 9th May, 2023 for the deliberation of the report after Hon Samuel Tsebe Co-chairman of the committee presented the committee’s report during the House proceedings today in Lafia.
Members made various contributions in their different ways to the bills as they are considered in stages.
PIAK
