The Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency Amendment Bill 2023 and Kwara State Education Trust Fund Amendment Bill 2023 have scaled through their second reading at the State House of Assembly.

The two Executive Bills passed through their respective second reading at the House on Wednesday in Ilorin following a debate led by the House Leader, Magaji Oba-Abdulkadir (APC-Ilorin Central).

Oba-Abdulkadir pointed out that the State Education Trust Fund Amendment bill will restructure education for optimum performance and ensure the state is able to achieve the purpose of the Fund’s establishment.

In his submission, Halidu Danbaba (APC-Kaiama) said any society that does not take education serious was heading for doom because it is a tool to eradicate poverty.

“In the global world, before donor agencies can assist in helping to develop a sector, they will look at the law regarding that.

“So, the quick passage of this bill will attract investors and donor agencies to fund education in the state,” he said.

On the Environmental Protection Agency Amendment Bill, the House Leader expressed worry over industrial and commercial wastes being indiscriminately dumped within Ilorin metropolis.

He advocated an increase in the penalties for erring citizens to curb the menace and serve as deterrent to others.

Some of the other lawmakers in their contributions supported the amendment of the bills to address the education sector’s pressing challenges and combat poor environmental practices in the state.

In her contribution, Rukayat Shittu (APC-Owode Onire) said the quick passage of the bill on the environment would ensure having a healthy state as “cleanliness is next to Godliness”.

The two bills were read for the second time by the Deputy Clerk, Alhaji Abdul-kareem Ahmed, during the plenary.

The Speaker, Mr Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, therefore referred the bills to the House Committees on Education, Human Capital Development, Health and Environment for Public Hearings before bringing them back to the House.

The Education Trust Fund Amendment Bill is to amend the Education Trust Fund Act for a more efficient management of the trust fund.

The amendment is to streamline membership of the board of trustees and the staffing of the trust fund towards achieving cost-saving and enhance efficiency.

On the other hand, the Environmental Protection Agency Amendment Bill 2023 seeks to amend the principal law to increase the penalties for certain offences as created by the law.

The bill when passed will increase the penalties for committing sanitation offences under Section 34 to Section 50 of the principal law.

Culprits will be convicted or tried with a maximum fine of N50,000 or six months imprisonment for individuals and a N100,000 fine for corporate bodies.