By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
As part of the winding down activities of the 7th Legislative Assembly in the state, Kogi House of Assembly on Thursday passed three bills including one providing for Retirement Age of Teachers in Kogi State.
The bill was titled: A Bill for Law to Provide for Retirement Age of Teachers in Kogi State and for Related Matters, 2022.
By the passage of this bill into law, “Teachers in Kogi State shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.
“The Public Service Rule or any legislation that requires a person to retire from the Public Service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to Teachers in Kogi State from the date of commencement of this Law.
The Speaker, Prince Matthew Yomi Kolawole pronounced the bills as passed on the floor of the House at plenary on Thursday.
He said passage of the three bills brought to 47, the total number of bills passed in the last four years of the 7th Assembly which took off in June, 2019.
The House resolved into a Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration of the provisions at Second Reading and later, took the third and final reading.
One of them, A Bill for Law to Provide for Retirement Age of Teachers in Kogi State and for Related Matters, 2022 provided for teachers to retire at the age of 65 years or attainment of 40 years in service.
“Teachers in Kogi State shall compulsorily retire on attainment of 65 years of age or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.
“The Public Service Rule or any legislation that requires a person to retire from the Public Service at 60 years of age or after 35 years of service shall not apply to Teachers in Kogi State from the date of commencement of this Law.”
Others are, “A Bill for a Law to Amend the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency and other matters connected therewith, 2018.
The third is, “A Bill for a Law to Establish the Kogi State Roads Fund Management and Administration Board and Other Matters Connected therewith, 2022.
The objectives of the Law according to the Speaker is to establish the Kogi State Roads Fund Management and Administration Board (KOSRFMAB) which shall operate and manage the State Roads Fund, (SRF).
Also at sitting, the House approved the renewal of another two-year contract for the Sergeant-At-Arms, Mr Drisu Omeiza and his Deputy, Muhammadu Shafiu with effect from January 1, 2023.
The approval followed a letter from the Assembly Service Commission recommending approval for another two-year contract for the duo after their screening in line with Section 93 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and section 72(1,2) of the law establishing the Commission.
The House also announced the appointment of Mr Adebayo Micheal Aka as Deputy Clerk in charge of Administration and General Duties.
Aka, whose letter was by presented to him by the Speaker of House, Prince Matthew Kolawole was a journalists with the state-owned Graphic Newspapers before his deployment to the House as Director, Information and Communication.
