…Confirms two Judicial Commission members
A Bill for a Law to Provide for Tuberculosis Elimination, Human Rights Protection, and Anti-Discrimination in Benue State, 2026, has enjoyed Second Reading.
The Bill enjoyed Second Reading during Wednesday Plenary presided over by the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Alfred Emberga, held at the Hallowed Chamber of the Assembly in Makurdi
Earlier, while leading debate on the bill, Deputy Majority Whip, Hon. Simon Gabo, stated that, “I stand guided by Standing Order XII, Rule 83(1), which restricts Second Reading to the general merits and principles of a Bill.”
According to Hon. Gabo, this Bill is about dignity, it is about life, while he added that in Benue today, people are not dying of tuberculosis because there is no cure. They are dying because of shame, stigma and discrimination.
“A patient is sacked from work because he has TB. A child is sent out of school. A woman is chased from her matrimonial home. People hide their cough and refuse to go to the hospital for fear of being discriminated against. This fear is killing more people than the disease itself,” Hon. Gabo further stated.
He highlighted the importance of the Bill to include, among others, prohibiting all forms of discrimination against persons affected by TB in workplaces, schools, hospitals and communities, and to protect the privacy, dignity and human rights of TB patients.
The member representing Mata State Constituency added that other importance of the Bill is that it seeks to remove legal and social barriers that prevent people from seeking timely diagnosis and treatment, as well as that the Bill will make Benue State the first state in the entire federation to provide a law against TB stigmatization. It aligns with the National TB Strategic Plan and the global End TB Strategy.
He maintained that, “If we pass this Bill, we will not only cure lungs, we will heal humanity. We will tell every Benue citizen: ‘TB is curable, and no one should be shamed for seeking cure,'” while he urged all honourable colleagues to support the Second Reading of this historic Bill.
Supporting the Bill, the member representing Kwande West, Hon. Thomas Dugeri, said the disease is an airborne disease, stating that all efforts should be made in order to stamp out the disease in the state.
On his part, the member representing Ogbadibo State Constituency, Hon. Samuel Agada, maintained that TB is killing people weekly in the state. He added that every effort should be taken to contain the disease as well as prohibit all forms of discrimination against persons affected by the disease.
Meanwhile, the Benue State House of Assembly has confirmed nominees of the State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, for appointment as members of the Benue State Judicial Service Commission.
The members screened and confirmed by the House during Wednesday Plenary held at the Hallowed Chamber, Benue State House of Assembly, Makurdi, are: Retired Justice Augustine Utsaha and Barr. Ndera Ngbea, while Barr. James Koko was absent and his screening and confirmation would take place another day.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Alfred Emberga, read a letter from the Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, appealing to the House to screen and confirm the nominees as members of the Commission.
In a related development, the House during Wednesday Plenary, received a report of the House Standing Committee on Food Security and Nutrition on its interaction with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on the harmful chemicals in the preservation of food and agricultural products, which was presented by the Chairman of the Committee and member representing Kwande West State Constituency, Hon. Samuel Matu.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Alfred Emberga, referred the report to the House Standing Committee on Business and Rules for further legislative action.
