In a decisive step toward curbing the spread of sickle cell disease and viral hepatitis, the Yobe State House of Assembly has held a public hearing on a bill seeking to make premarital haemoglobin genotype and hepatitis testing mandatory across the state.
The speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chiroma Buba Mashio assured the Assembly’s full commitment to passing the bill during a one-day zonal public hearing for Yobe North Senatorial District held in Gashua.
The speaker said that recent statistics indicated that Yobe State has one of the highest numbers of sickle cell cases in Nigeria, a situation mainly attributed to low awareness and the absence of compulsory premarital testing.
He said, “When passed into law, this bill will make it mandatory for intending couples to undergo haemoglobin genotype and viral hepatitis tests. This is a necessary step to prevent avoidable health crises in our communities,” Mashio stated.
He further explained that the House deliberately opted for zonal public hearings to ensure broader participation, especially from the grassroots, and to avoid potential cultural or religious misunderstandings surrounding the legislation.
The speaker also commended Governor Mai Mala Buni for his unwavering support of the legislature’s efforts to enact people-oriented laws.
In his welcome remarks, the chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Bill, Hon. Kachalla Ajiya Maina, urged participants to make meaningful contributions that would strengthen the final version of the bill. He assured that the committee would critically review all submissions made during the session.
In their separate remarks, the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Dr. Bashir Albishir Bukar Machinama, and the Emir of Yusufari, Alhaji Mohammed Zanna Ibn Zakariya II, lauded the Assembly’s initiative, describing the bill as timely and vital to public health.
