The Kwara House of Assembly has received the State Local Government Electoral Amendment Bill 2023 from Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for consideration and passage.

The message in the bill was addressed to the House Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu (APC/Gwanara), and read during plenary on Wednesday.

Governor Abdulrazaq explained in the message that the bill sought to amend principal laws to bring state law in line with Electoral Act 2023 to pave the way for the conduct of local government elections.

The Amendment Bill was accorded swift consideration when it was read for the first time by the Clerk of the House, Ahmed Kareem.

The Speaker therefore referred the Executive Bill to the House Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative actions.

Meanwhile, the House also called for drastic actions to checkmate the activities of Patent Medicine Stores in Kwara State to ensure compliance to global standard.

This was sequel to a Motion on Notice titled “Need to Checkmate Activities of Patent Medicine Stores in the State to ensure Compliance with Rules Guiding their Operations.”

The motion was raised by the Chairman, House Committee on Health and Environment, Razaq Owolabi (APC/Share/Oke-Ode), during Wednesday’s plenary.

Mr Owolabi recalled that no fewer than 250 Patent Medicine Stores were sealed within Ilorin metropolis by the regulatory body.

He said this was as a result of the selling of a certain category of drugs to the general public last year.

“This was in contravention of the provisions of the law of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Stores in Nigeria.”

Some lawmakers, in their contributions, cautioned the populace against patronising uncertified health workers, particularly patent medicine store operators.

They said this was to forestall medical complications, and then charged the state Ministry of Health to collaborate with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to arrest the situation.

Reading the resolutions of the House, the Speaker advised PSN’s Kwara Chapter to collaborate with relevant government health agencies to reduce quackery to its lowest level.

The Speaker also encouraged PSN to be alive to its responsibility of ensuring proper and regular monitoring and supervision of Patent Medicine Stores towards bringing the culprits to book.

(NAN)