Date: 2018-03-23

Members of the Kwara State House of Assembly have expressed divergent views on the passage of a bill for a law to establish the State Farm Produce Commodity Board during the debate on the general principles of the bill.

Leading in the debate of the Executive bill, the Leader of the House, Hon Hassan Oyeleke, who urged his colleagues to support the passage of the bill into law, pointed out that the establishment of the Board through the passage of the bill would , among other things, ensure availability of funds, seedlings and professional guidance for farmers through the supervision of the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Some other members who spoke in favour of the bill expressed confidence that the Board would safeguard farmers against excess production and market for farm produce in the state.

However, members representing Oke-Ogun, Share/Oke Ode, Bani/Adena/ Gweria and Irepodun Constituencies Barrister Kamal Fagbemi, Hon Jimoh Akanni Abdul Rahman and Hon Ba'aziki Suleiman and Hon Mathew Babaoye vehemently opposed to the passage of the bill on the ground that there is an existing law which according to them have not been repealed

This, they said, would amount to duplication of efforts by the legislature.

Members representing Owode/Onire, Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe, Ekiti, Ilesha/Gwanara, Ilorin East Constituencies, Hon Abdul Rasheed Taiwo Abdullahi, Hon Ibn Ahmed Mohammed, Chief Ebun Owolabi, Hon Umar Gunu, and Hon Aishat Ibrahim expressed displeasure over the development and enjoined the House to invite the affected Ministries and other Stakeholders to clear the grey areas before its passage.

Responding, the Deputy Speaker Chief Mathew Okedare who put the question before members directed the Clerk of the House Alhaji Ahmed Katsina Mohammed to read the bill for the second time and directed the House committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources to conduct public hearing on the bill to have all inclusive stakeholders' inputs on the bill.