Chairman, House Committee on Justice and Judiciary, Mr Nasiru Bungudu, has confirmed that the committee will present before the Zamfara house of assembly the State’s Social protection bill Soon.
Mr Bungudu disclosed this at a one-day meeting organised by the Zamfara government in Kaduna.
The meeting was convened by the state’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, with support from UNICEF to clean up the draft Social Protection Bill.
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According to him, the bill would be presented to the house by the end of Sept. 2021, as a private bill, along with ten assembly members for deliberation and passage.
Bungudu, who also doubles as the Deputy House Leader, expressed confidence that the bill would be passed before the end of the year.
He said the bill if passed, would ensure that every child and vulnerable person in the state had access to essential social services.
“This is in line with the current administration’s commitment to reducing poverty and among its citizens”.
UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Mr Isah Ibrahim, while speaking, said the bill, if passed and signed into law, would ensure the sustainability of all social protection programmes and reduce poverty among the people.
Ibrahim added that the law would equally provide guiding principles for managing social protection programmes in the state.
“It will also enhance human capital development, the dignity of human life, promote social welfare, improve food security and nutrition.
“It will provide synergy and coordination among all development partners and Non-Governmental Organisations,” he said.
He appealed to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to create a department for social protection in the ministry to coordinate the implementation of social protection programmes.
Meanwhile, the government, through its commissioner in charge of the ministry, Alhaji Rabiu Garba, thanked UNICEF and other stakeholders for their support towards the development of the State Social Protection Bill.
Garba said that Gov. Bello Matawalle was committed to working with UNICEF and other development partners towards responding to the needs of the people, particularly with the current security challenges and poverty bedevilling the state.
He assured UNICEF that the ministry would look into the possibility of creating a Social Protection Department before the end of Sept.
The Commissioner also appealed to UNICEF to support the State in reviewing its 10-year Development Plan to enhance the human, economic, infrastructural, and social development of the state.
