By Asma’u Ahmad
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed three amendment bills for third reading in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.
The bills are the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (Amendment) Bill, Local Government Administration (Amendment) Bill, and Ekiti State Joint Local Government Account and Allocation of
Revenue (Amendment) Bill.
Newsmen report that the three bills were passed during the plenary sitting after a thorough debate in which the lawmakers canvassed for their speedy consideration.
Messrs Akinleye Ekundayo, Anifowose Badejo, Akinniyi Sunday and the Chairman House Committee on Information, Dr Omotoso Samuel highlighted the advantages of the amendments and pointed out that they would be of immense benefit to Ekiti people.
The Leader of Government Business, Mr Akinyele Olatunji, said the Primary Health Care Amendment Bill would address health care delivery at the grassroots. They described the amendment as timely, adding that it would make the health sector function effectively at the local government level.
The Local Government Administration (Amendment) Bill was passed to expunge the primary health department from the local government level. The House also amended the Ekiti State Joint Local Government Account and Allocation of Revenue.
It said it was to enable the government put the payment of salaries of primary school teachers, primary health care workers, local government workers and five percent of statutory allocation in the account and for the payment of traditional rulers on first line charge.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Kola Oluwawole, said the amendment would improve efficiency and develop primary health care at the local government level. He said it would also reduce bottlenecks as well as boost the morale of staff at the primary health care agency.
Mr Oluwawole said the amendment removed any ambiguity in matters relating to primary health care delivery in Ekiti State.
