Sokoto Assembly passes Bill to establish Malaria elimination agency

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has passed a Bill for a law to establish the state Malaria Elimination Agency (SOSEA) for Chemo Prevention treatment, prevention and elimination of malaria.

The development followed a motion moved by Alhaji Bello Ambarura, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Leader of the Assembly after the consideration of the report of the House Committee on Health.

Presenting the report of the committee Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Sarki (PDP-Sokoto North II), said the committee met with all the stakeholders to ensure that the bill is in accordance with modern techniques under health sector.

Sarki said the committee made 11 recommendations in respect of the bill, among which is: “no persons shall conduct any anti-Malaria spray in a public place without the approval of the relevant government agency.

“That, whoever violates such provision commit an offence and shall be liable on conviction with imprisonment for a term of five years or a fine not to exceed One million Naira or both.

“The court shall, upon conviction and sentence also award appropriate compensation to every victim of such anti-Malaria spray as it may deem fit in the circumstances, such amount not less than One million Naira per victim”.

The Deputy Speaker, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji, who presided over the plenary, put the motion into a voice vote and was unanimously accepted by the lawmakers.

In a related development, two of the executive member Bills before the state House Assembly had scaled second reading at the plenary.

The proposed laws are a Bill to establish the state Erosion and Watershed Management Agency (SEWMA) and a Bill to amend the state Geographic Information System Agency law 2016.