The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has passed a bill to amend the Nasarawa State Geographic Information Service (NAGIS) for effective land administration and to boost internally generated revenue.
Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, the Speaker of the Assembly, announced the passage of the bill after Alhaji Tanko Tunga, the Majority Leader of the House, moved a motion for the bill to scale the third reading.
The motion was seconded by Mr Danladi Jatau, the Minority Leader of the House, during the House proceedings in Lafia on Wednesday.
Balarabe-Abdullahi said that the importance of the NAGIS to the development of the state could not be over-emphasised, hence the need for the passage of the bill.
He commended the sponsor of the bill, Alhaji Agah Muluku (APC- Nassarawa Eggon East), and other members for their contributions to allow the bill to see the light of the day.
According to the amended law, the qualification of the Director General of NAGIS should be a Bachelor Degree or its equivalent in any field with not less than seven years cognate experience in Geospatial Information Systems, Information Technology and /or Land Administration.
” The agency is also mandated by its establishing law to process grants of statutory rights of occupancy, issue letters of grants, process and issue Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O), among other functions,” the Speaker said.
He explained that the law, if finally assented to by the governor, will enhance land use and management of land as well as other purposes for the overall development of the state.
The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to produce a clean copy of the bill for the governor’s assent.
In a related development, the House intermediately proceeded on Ramadan break and will resume on June 1.