The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a bill providing free treatment for snakebite victims in government hospitals across the state.
The bill was passed after scaling through its third reading during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Berger Alfred Emberga, on Thursday.
Its passage followed a public hearing held on March 23, 2026, where stakeholders in the health sector highlighted the need for legislation to improve access to snakebite treatment, particularly for residents of rural communities.
Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Health and Human Services, Hon. Dr. Mathew Damkor, representing Tiev State Constituency, described snakebite as a serious but often neglected public health challenge, especially among farmers and rural dwellers.
Damkor said the new law would remove financial barriers to treatment and provide a structured response to snakebite cases across the state.
The Speaker described the legislation as timely, noting that snakebite incidents continued to pose significant challenges to farmers and rural communities.
The Assembly also passed the Benue State Honours Bill into law.
The law seeks to recognise excellence, integrity and outstanding service to the state, while promoting patriotism, diligence and innovation.
It also provides for the recognition of individuals and organisations that have contributed to the socio-economic development of Benue and establishes a transparent, merit-based system for conferring state honours.
During deliberations, lawmakers stressed the importance of recognising deserving sons and daughters of the state who had made significant contributions to its development. The bill was subsequently considered clause-by-clause and passed.
Meanwhile, the House received the report of its Standing Committee on Rural Development and Cooperatives following a familiarisation and working visit to the Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development.
The report was presented by the committee chairman, Dr. Abraham Jabi, representing Buruku State Constituency.
After considering the report, Speaker Emberga directed the committee to liaise with the Accountant General of the state to determine why funds had not been released to the Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development.
In another development, the House gave first reading to the Tuberculosis Elimination, Human Rights Protection and Anti-Discrimination Bill, sponsored by Hon. Simon Gabo, representing Mata State Constituency.
The proceedings were contained in a statement issued on Thursday, September 24, 2026, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Zape Upaa Michael.