The Kogi State House of Assembly has passed two key bills seeking to overhaul the state’s fire and rescue service and curb indiscriminate littering and defacement of public infrastructure.
The bills were passed at plenary on Wednesday following clause-by-clause consideration and the adoption of reports presented by the relevant committees.
The bills are the Kogi State Fire and Rescue Agency Bill, 2026, which repeals the 2007 law and establishes a new framework for the agency, and the Kogi State Public Littering and Defacement Control Bill, 2026.
Several clauses were amended based on the recommendations of the committees before the House passed the bills at third reading.
Speaker of the House, Aliyu Umar Yusuf, commended members and the committees for their diligence.
He said the new Fire and Rescue Agency law would reposition the agency for effective emergency response across the state.
Aliyu described the existing fire service structure as largely moribund, stressing that the agency should play a pivotal role in responding to emergencies and protecting lives and property.
On the anti-littering bill, the Speaker said the legislation would restore order, promote cleanliness and improve the aesthetics of public spaces.
He warned that indiscriminate littering went beyond defacing the environment, noting that it could create unhygienic conditions and contribute to disease outbreaks.
According to him, effective enforcement of the law would make residents understand that littering and the defacement of public and private property have consequences.
Yusuf expressed optimism that the laws, when assented to by the executive, would help change public behaviour, improve sanitation and strengthen emergency response in the state.
The Speaker thanked members and the committees for concluding work on the legislations.
The House, however, directed that the schedules to the Fire and Rescue Agency Bill be finalised before the legislation is transmitted to the executive for assent.
