Niger State House of Assembly Passes Law on Healthcare Facility Standards.
The Niger State House of Assembly has approved a bill that sets minimum standards for healthcare facilities, aimed at improving the quality of health services in 2024.
This decision followed the presentation of the House Standing Committee on Health, Nutrition, and Primary Health Care Report by the Chairman, Hon. Pharm. Umar Nasir (Paikoro), during today’s plenary session.
In his presentation, the Chairman informed the House that the Committee engaged with stakeholders to gather their input.
The committee made several key findings:
1. The bill establishes minimum standards for healthcare facilities in Niger State.
2. It incorporates principles from globally recognized healthcare regulatory codes to assess the suitability of healthcare facilities in Niger State.
3. The bill authorizes the Ministry of Health to conduct periodic checks to ensure compliance with the established standards for both existing and potential healthcare facilities.
After a thorough clause-by-clause review, the bill was passed into law. The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Mohammed Sarkin-Daji, commended the Chairman and the members of the House Standing Committee on Health, Nutrition, and Primary Health Care for their diligent work.
In a separate matter during the plenary, the House resolved to invite the Niger State Area Manager of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to address concerns regarding breaches of contract related to transmission facilities. This motion was introduced by Hon. Sani Umar, the representative for Kontagora I Constituency.
Hon. Sani Umar explained that AEDC is a profit-making company providing electricity services to most parts of Niger State and is regulated under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission Act of 2023. He compared AEDC to telecommunication companies, which have evolved into corporate entities following the deregulation of NEPA.
He noted that telecommunication companies offer adequate protection for their equipment without requiring financial contributions from local communities. In contrast, he expressed concern that AEDC has mandated communities to contribute funds for the purchase, repair, or replacement of damaged electricity transformer components, arguing that this violates the NERC Act.
After discussing the motion, the House unanimously adopted its provisions.
Additionally, the House called upon the Executive Arm of the Niger State Government to review and increase the pensions paid to retired civil servants, as stipulated in Section 210, Subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Presenting this motion, Hon. Ahmed Mohammed, representing Edati Constituency, acknowledged Governor Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago’s efforts to ensure pensioners receive their withheld gratuities, which are currently being disbursed in batches. However, he pointed out that some pensioners receive monthly pensions as low as #3,000, which is inadequate given the current economic conditions.
Hon. Ahmed Mohammed asserted that an increase in pension payments would help alleviate some of the difficulties faced by retired civil servants.
After deliberation, the House unanimously adopted the provisions of this motion as well.
Today’s plenary session was presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abdulmalik Mohammed Sarkin-Daji.
