The Ebonyi State Executive Council, EXCO, has proposed three new bills aimed at easing the cost of living, improving public safety, and promoting traditional medicine in the state.

Briefing journalists on Tuesday on the outcomes of Monday’s emergency EXCO meeting, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Ikeuwa Omebeh, said the council approved an Executive Bill to regulate house agent fees and another to regulate the sale of metal and electrical scraps.

According to Omebeh, the bill seeks to make it illegal for any house agent in the state to charge more than 2% of the total fixed rent.

“The move is to ensure that all qualified and registered agents act within the law and to cushion the hardship caused by arbitrary agent charges on citizens,” he said.

He recalled that government had earlier sent a bill to the State House of Assembly to regulate house rents, which has already passed first and second readings.

EXCO also approved a bill to regulate the buying, selling, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps in Ebonyi.

Omebeh said the law, when passed, is expected to curb vandalism, environmental degradation, and other criminal activities associated with scrap dealers.

“As a follow-up to government’s earlier position to regulate house rents, agent fees, and scrap sales, EXCO approved the transmission of the bills to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly for proper legislation,” he added.

In another major decision, EXCO approved the establishment of state-owned Herbal Heritage Gardens, one in each of the three senatorial zones of the state.

The project will be executed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.

Omebeh said government will immediately begin stakeholder engagement, site identification, and development of a regulatory framework with NAFDAC and research institutions.

He added that within 90 days, a supplementary memorandum will be submitted for legislation on standardization, intellectual property protection, and integration of herbal medicine into Primary Health Centres.

The briefing was jointly addressed by the Commissioner for Information, that of Justice, Commerce and Industry, Ben Uruchi Odo and Oguzor Offia-Nwali respectively.