The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed for a second reading ‘A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of Nasarawa State Asset Management Authority ( NASAMA) and for Other Matters Related Thereto.’

The Speaker of the House, Danladi Jatau, announced the passage of the bill during the House proceedings on Tuesday in Lafia.

Mr Jatau said that the bill if passed into law would ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the state assets/properties.

He then committed the bill to the Joint Committee on Works and Transport and Public Account to work on it and report back to the House on August 24.

Earlier, the sponsor of the bill, Daniel Ogazi, said that the bill would ensure adequate control and maintenance of government properties across the state.

“Mr Speaker and Honourable colleagues, this bill will ensure transparency and accountability in the management of state properties.

“We have a lot of assets that have been abandoned and depreciated, and sometimes governments do not know the numbers of assets they have in the state and the country.

“So, we need to have an agency that will ensure a proper record of the state assets, as this bill will ensure transparency and accountability in the management of the state assets,” he said.

Mr Ogazi called on his colleagues to support the bill to scale second reading.

Contributing, other members such as Jacob Kudu, Esson Mairiga, Hajarat Danyaro, Ibrahim Sa’ad, Suleiman  Azara and Mohammed Isimbabi supported the bill to scale the second reading.

They said that the bill would also address the abandonment of projects in the state and create employment, among other benefits to the state.

(NAN)