APC lawmakers reject bill to establish vigilante agency in Bauchi

All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers in the Bauchi State House Assembly, have rejected a bill seeking to establish a state Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency.

Our correspondent reports that the bill passed third reading on Wednesday at the plenary in the absence of APC legislators.

The house has 31 members, 16 of them APC and 15 the People Democratic party (PDP), the speaker Abubakar Sulaiman is from APC.

Mr Gazali Abubakar, Chairman house committee on information, said at a press briefing on Wednesday in Bauchi that the bill that sought to establish the agency had a motive.

He said all the APC lawmakers are not in support of the bill, adding that they all rejected the bill, saying it has no value to the citizens of the state.

“We discussed at the executive session with all the legislators by pointing out to them that the bill should hold on for some time, but they went ahead to pass the bill.

“All APC legislators are not part of it and we are not in support of the bill, therefore we want to assure citizens that we will always promulgate a law that is beneficial.

“We also explained to them that there is a Ministry of youth and agency that cares for youth empowerment so why creating another agency,” he said.

Also Speaking, Mr Baballe Abubakar, representing Dambam, Jalam constituency, said the state doesn’t need such a bill at this moment.

According to him, Bauchi is peaceful. Why do we need the agency? It comes at an ill time, so we are rejecting the Bill.

He said that all the APC lawmakers in the assembly would never support the bill, despite it passing the third reading.

Abubakar said the bill violates the process of promulgating a law in the assembly because of the motive behind it.

Meanwhile, Mr Musa Nakwada, the spokesman of the PDP in the house, earlier told Journalists that the bill followed normal process of passing bills from first, second and third readings.

He said the Bill is an executive bill from Gov. Bala Mohammed, seeking to establish the agency which was deliberated upon and passed.