Benue Assembly Passes Bill For Free Treatment Of Snakebites

The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a bill to be signed into law by the Governor providing for free treatment of snakebites in government hospitals across the state.

The bill scaled third reading during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga, on Thursday.

Its passage followed a public hearing held on March 23, 2026, where stakeholders in the health sector highlighted its benefits to the people.

Chairman, House Committee on Health and Human Services, Hon. Dr. Mathew Damkor (Tiev State Constituency), who led debate on the bill, said snakebites remain a serious but often neglected public health challenge, particularly among farmers and rural dwellers.

He said the law would eliminate financial barriers to treatment and establish a structured response system for victims.

Speaker Emberga described the law as timely and important, noting that snakebite incidents cause serious challenges in rural communities, especially among farmers.

Also at plenary, the House passed into law the Benue State Honours Bill, which seeks to recognise excellence, integrity and service to the state while promoting patriotism, diligence and innovation.

The bill, which is designed to encourage contributions to socio-economic development and establish a transparent, merit-based honours system, was considered clause by clause before passage. Members said it would honour deserving sons and daughters who have contributed immensely to the development of the state.

In another development, the House received the report of the House Committee on Rural Development and Cooperative on its familiarisation visit to the Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development, presented by Dr. Abraham Jabi (Buruku State Constituency).

Following the report, the Speaker directed the committee to liaise with the Accountant-General of the state to ascertain why funds have not been released to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the Tuberculosis Elimination, Human Rights Protection and Anti-Discrimination Bill, sponsored by Hon. Simon Gabo (Mata State Constituency), was read for the first time.