Cross River Assembly Pass Hawking Rights Bill Into Law, Confirm CROSIEC Nominee

By Ogar Monday: House of Assembly Correspondent

The Hawking Rights Protection Bill has been passed into law on the floor of the Cross River State House of Assembly.

The bill for a law to make provisions for the protection of livelihood Rights and the Regulation of Hawking in the state was sponsored by Regina Anyogo (PDP Yala 1) and was passed in plenary following the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Investment Promotions, Industries, Entrepreneurship Development, Public/Private Partnership, Banking and Special Projects which considered the bill.

“There is wisdom in advocating for hawkers’ rights as the lives of practitioners of the trade, often erroneously branded as low level of members of the society can be enhanced or changed if their activities are legalized and their rights protected,” said Fred Osim (PDP Ikom 1), Chairman of the committee.

Osim said the bill will ameliorate the plight of hawkers and allied trades and make the state an attractive destination for business and increased economic activities as the bill provides for the creation of the Hawkers Right Protection and Regulation Agency which will have a database of all hawkers who will only be allowed from age 18 and above to hawk at designated areas with crested vests with rights enshrined in our laws.

“The bill aims to create a synergy between production and commerce by providing legal and regulatory framework to legitimize hawking as the tail end of production,” Osim said and noted that the bill was the first of its kind in Africa.

Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade had courted controversy last year when he announced his intention to send an executive bill to protect hawkers to the Assembly when across Nigeria, his counterpart was clamping down on them.

Also, the Assembly in line with section 2(1) of the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) law, confirmed the nomination of Asikpo, Ann Jude as a member, CROSIEC following her nomination by Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade.

The confirmation followed a motion filed by the chairman, committee on Judiciary, Public Petitions and Conflict Resolution, Nelsom Ofem (PDP Yakurr 1) to complement earlier appointments into the commission which had only one member representing the southern senatorial district of the state.