Niger State Assembly Deliberates on Magistrates’ Courts Bill, Infrastructure Projects, library Reforms
The Niger State House of Assembly has received a Private Member’s Bill aimed at establishing Magistrates’ Courts, appointing Magistrates, and addressing related legal issues. Introduced during Tuesday’s plenary by Hon. Engr Abdulrahman Bala Gambo, PhD, representing Borgu Constituency, the bill was referred to the House Standing Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters for further legislative review, with a report anticipated within one week.
In a separate initiative, the House urged the Executive to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and other authorities to facilitate the construction and operation of weigh bridges at strategic entry points including Mokwa, Makera, Diko, and Pandogari.
These weigh bridges aim to monitor and regulate overloaded trucks, ensuring compliance with axle-load limits, protecting infrastructure, enhancing road safety, and reducing maintenance costs.
The motion, presented by Hon. Muhammad Sani Idris of Tafa Constituency, highlighted Niger State’s strategic importance as a transit corridor for heavy-duty vehicles hauling goods such as agricultural produce, livestock, minerals, and petroleum across Nigeria. Overloading has been identified as a significant factor accelerating road deterioration and increasing maintenance expenses due to the lack of functional weighbridges at critical points.
The Assembly resolved to empower enforcement agencies to uphold axle-load regulations and urged the Federal Ministry of Works to include Niger State in the National Axle-Load Control Program. Furthermore, the House recommended deploying modern weigh-in-motion technologies and traffic monitoring systems to enhance regulatory effectiveness.
Additionally, the House called for the relocation of the Niger State Library Board from the Ministry of Information and Orientation to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
This realignment is expected to strengthen literacy efforts, academic support, and resource management, thereby fostering educational development across the state.
