Benjamin Omoike l Saturday, June 09, 2018
ASABA, Delta, Nigeria -The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, DSHA; Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (JP), has made a case for Deltans to actively participate in the process of lawmaking. Oborevwori stated this at a press briefing marking the 3rd Anniversary of the Sixth Assembly, tagged, “Account For Stewardship: The Journey So Far”.
While thanking Deltans for entrusting the members of the Assembly with their mandate, he urged them to propose bills to the House which would be considered and passed into law. He also invited Deltans to attend the public sittings of the House, so as to be acquainted with the legislative process.
The Speaker, while reeling out the achievements of the Sixth Assembly, stated that the House had, in the period between June 8, 2015, when the Assembly was proclaimed and June 7, 2018; received a total of 75 Bills and 36 Motions. 36 of the Bills were Executive Bills, while 39 were Private Member Bills.
Giving a breakdown of the bills, the Speaker stated that 27 Bills have been passed and assented to, while five Bills were awaiting assent. He further revealed that 10 Bills are at the Committee of the whole House, while 10 Bills are pending at various Committees. One Bill he said, however, was withdrawn by leave of the House, and one failed first reading.
He commended the dedication and resourcefulness of the members of the House and assured Deltans that the State House of Assembly was responsive to their yearnings and expectations of a proactive and forward thinking government with high premium on the people.
“Let me at this juncture sincerely appreciate my esteemed colleagues for the team work, unflinching support and invaluable advice towards the successful piloting of the affairs of this dynamic House since the unavoidable change in leadership of the House on May 11, 2017. I also want to commend the management and staff of the House for their immeasurable contributions which culminated in the success recorded thus far,” Oborevwori Said.
In the same vein, the Lawmaker posited that the DSHA passed the 2018 budget in November 2017, and was assented to on 18 December, 2017. He also posited that the Assembly approved the fourth alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), passed by two-third majority of Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, including the Not Too Young to Run Act.
Rt. Hon. Oborevwori hailed the efforts of journalists in disseminating and transmitting the activities of the Assembly to Deltans and also for using their various Media to highlight the challenges of the state, which has given rise to appropriate legislative action. He charged members of the Press to remain committed to the highest standards and ethos of journalism practice as the House enters the final lap of the 6th Assembly.
While thanking God for the achievements recorded so far, the Speaker poured encomiums on the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, for his commitment to the Legislature, which has culminated in a harmonious Executive-Legislature harmony.
According to him, “Looking back, we have every reason to be grateful to God Almighty for His love, guidance and protection, which has seen us thus far. We cannot but also appreciate the governor of the state, His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, for his unwavering support for the Assembly. As an experienced former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he sees the Legislature as his first constituency and that is why the Legislature and the Executive are enjoying a harmonious working relationship.”
