Determined to provide free and compulsory childhood sight screening for children of under-five, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has presented Childhood Sight Protection Bill before the State House of Assembly.

The draft bill which was presented by the Speaker of the House, according to the governor was to enact a law to provide for free and compulsory childhood sight screening for the purpose of early identification and treatment of any impairment which may lead to blindness in children.

If the bill is passed into law according to him, children in the state would be given free sight screening at birth or within six weeks to three months after birth and before the age of five years.

The purpose he said is for early detection, early optical, medical or surgical management of congenital or childhood cataract or other sight disorders that may lead to perpetual blindness and even death due to retinoblatoma.

The bill also seeks to provide among things for a designated centre at the tertiary health care level with sub-centres at the secondary and primary health care levels across the senatorial districts and Local Government Areas in the state to implement the programme.

The Speaker, Barrister Razak Atunwa, referred the bill to Rules and Business Committee for further legislative action.

In another development, the governor requested the legislature's confirmation of Justice A. O. Bamigbola as the Chief Judge of the state.

Justice Bamigbola had sworn in as Acting Chief Judge pursuant to section 271(4) of the 1999 constitution following the retirement of Justice Raliat Elelu Habeeb on September 16, 2012.

The governor said he had received the recommendation from the National Judicial Council in line with section 271(1) of the 1999 constitution, requesting that Justice Bamigbola be appointed Chief Judge of Kwara State.

He urged the House to consider and confirm the appointment.

Atunwa ordered the nominee to forward his documents to the House before Monday December 3 and appear on Tuesday December 4 for screening.