By; JULIANA KATUNG, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Law makers passed the Peace Commission Bill into law.
The Speaker of the House, RT. Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali made it known during its preliminary sitting on Wednesday.
The purpose of the law is to provide for the monitoring, mitigation and prevention of conflicts with a view to promoting peaceful and harmonious co-existence in the state.
Reading it clause by clause, Hon. Shagali said some of the functions of the commission will be engaging in the training of key stakeholders like traditional rulers, religious leaders,
public servants, youth, women and politicians in mediation and conflict sensitive development through workshops, treats, dialogue and seminars.
It will also engage in activities like organising regular joint interactive meetings in communities, designing and implementing peace advocacy programmes in the mass media, carrying out peace advocacy in schools and public places including worship centres.
Implement and review policies, peace agreements, regulations, standards, guidelines and mechanism governing peace building and conflict management in collaboration with stakeholders; adding that it will assist the Government in the formulation of policies and measures that promote general security, social stability and compliance with the rule of law and develop strategies that will check negative social values and vices capable of causing crisis in the state.
The commission shall have powers to liaise with all relevant agencies to cause the attendance of any person before it to answer questions relevant to the subject matter of the hearing before the commission
It shall also collaborate with similar agencies in other states for the purpose of achieving its objectives and issue invitations for the purpose of carrying out its functions.
The tenure of members of the Local Government Peace Committee shall be three years and may be reappointed for another period of three years. And the Commission shall hold such number of meetings, at least once in a quarter and submit reports of any such meeting to the secretary to the State Government.
At every meeting of the commission, where the Chairman is absent, the members present shall appoint one from themselves to preside over the meeting. The commission may set up sub committees within itself to advice it on any matter which in its opinion would be better regulated or managed by a sub committee.
The commission shall establish and maintain a fund into which shall be credited all monies appropriated or accruing to it and from which all expenditures incurred by it shall be de frayed. Be it monies appropriated by the state assembly, grants, gift and donations from individuals, local and international organisations and agencies.
Meanwhile, the the Auditor General of the State, Mr. Timothy Bosan Avong Presented a report on the State’s account for the Past four years (2012-2015) as required. The financial statement was properly examined by the Auditor General as he stated, he urged the Hon. House to look into the reports he brought to avoid further occurences of mistakes earlier done. The report was submitted to the Hon. House for further legislative actions.
The speaker of the Hon. House. RT. Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali assured him that the reports will be looked deeply into and he will be invited if the need arises.
It would be recalled that the Peace Commission bill was among the bills that were on for Public Hearing. The bill got a lot of support which is what lead to the compilation of the report.
