The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has said that the Sixth Assembly fared very well, saying feats recorded could not have been possible without the cooperation and support of members.
In his Valedictory Speech delivered Thursday, at the Valedictory Sitting of the Sixth Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly, the Speaker said that in the course of the Legislative activities of the Sixth Assembly inaugurated on Monday, June 8, 2015, the House received a total number of eighty-three (83) Bills.
According to him, out of the Bills received by the House forty-nine (49) were passed, two (2) fell through the legislative processes, six (6) were merged and twenty-six (26) are still pending in the House.
He however said that out of the forty-nine Bills that were passed by the House, forty-five (45) of them were assented to by the Governor, His Excellency Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa. Four (4) of the Bills were however not assented to.
The Speaker stated that during the period under review, the House also received One hundred and seventy-seven (177) Motions which include Requests from the Executive Arm of Government, adding that the House considered the Motions/Requests and approved One hundred and seventy-five (175) of them and Two (2) of the Motions were rejected by the House.
He listed the Bills and Motions to include the Delta State Contributory Health Commission Law, 2015,Delta State Public Procurement Commission Agency Law, 2015, Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ( Fourth Alteration ) Act, 2017, Delta State Public and Private Property Protection Law, 2018, Delta State Audit Law, 2018.
Others are Delta State Public Finance Management Law, 2018, Delta State House of Assembly Fund Management (Financial Autonomy ) Law, 2018, Delta State Water Law, 2016, Warri /Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency Law, 2019, Establishment of Agro-Industrial Park at Aboh Ogwashi -Uku through Public Partnership (PPP ), Devastating Landslide/Coastal erosion at Akugbene Community in Bomadi Local Government Area, Provision of relief materials to Ogbe -Udu community in Udu Local Government Area, Abuse of Narcotic Drugs and other psychotropic substances in Delta State, Demand for the speedy trial of the suspects who murdered Miss Elozino Joshuana Ogege and Unlawful and illegal invasion, massacre and occupation of Ovre R’Eku Community in Ethiope East Local Government Area.
“Furthermore, the Sixth Assembly synchronized with the Executive Arm of Government to hasten development to the nooks and crannies of the State. We were able to achieve this because we regarded the State budget as the most essential policy tool for development. To the credit of the Sixth Assembly, the Appropriation Law, that is, the State Budgets for 2018 and 2019 were presented, considered and passed at record time. Both Budgets were assented to in December 2017 and 2018 respectively”, the Speaker said.
“Away from Bills and Motions, the Sixth Assembly also placed premium on human capital development. To attain excellence in our duties, members of the Sixth Assembly were afforded training in one of the best schools in the world.
Members and top management of the House were trained in Management and Leadership skills by the famous and reputable London School of Economics in 2018. Legislative prowess of members were also boosted in 2017 at the International Law Institute, Washington DC.”
According to the Speaker, owing to the significant role played by staff of the House, leadership of the Sixth Assembly has also extended Capacity Building to the Management and Staff of the House, saying this was important because the Management and Staff are the repository of legislative practice and procedures of the House.
He said when the Sixth Assembly was inaugurated in June 2015, members met regular power failure challenges on ground, adding that the light was not stable in the office and at the quarters.
“The situation was an impediment to our work. The leadership of the House with the support of members migrated the office and the quarters to the 33 KVA line. Today, the House now functions with minimal power interruption”, he said.
In addition, he said, the Sixth Assembly also took seriously the welfare of the staff of the Assembly, saying the controversial issue of staff outfit has been laid to rest. Staff now receive their outfit allowance along with their salaries at the anniversary of their employments.
He said; “The leadership of the Sixth Assembly has also maintained and sustained the Assembly’s Clinic. The clinic provides services for members, political aides and staff of the Assembly”.
The Speaker noted that; “One very important achievement of the Sixth Assembly was our systematic interface between members and their constituents through constituency visits and empowerment programmes. As you know, the Sixth Assembly was emphatic on regular constituency outreaches by members to promote government policies and programmes in our various constituencies. I guess this paid off for most of us during the last general elections”.
“My dear colleagues, we could not have achieved these feats without your cooperation and support”, he said and expressed gratitude to the Principal Officers and all members of the House.
In his words; “My dear colleagues, the Sixth Assembly was a great team, regrettably, some of our colleagues are exiting from the House now. Nonetheless, they remain forever non-sitting members of the Delta State House of Assembly. For those members that are leaving, I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours. I also request on behalf of the House that any time your knowledge and services are needed, you would be kind enough to make yourself available for us”.
“On this note, I want to sincerely thank God Almighty for seeing us through these four years. According to Romans 9:16 God says “so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy”. I therefore return all the achievements, successes and glory back to God”, he said.
The Speaker thanked the state Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, for his support and understanding for the House, pointing out that; “He is one man that respects the fundamentals of the separation of powers that exist among the three arms of government. We are grateful to you sir”.
Rt.Hon Oborevwori also thanked their constituents for giving them the opportunity to represent them in the Sixth Assembly, noting that; “Life is an opportunity for continuous learning. No one is perfect. If in the course of discharging our duties we have erred in any way, I ask on behalf of all the members for your forgiveness. It may not have been done deliberately. I also know that in public service, ones actions may not be acceptable to all persons at the same time. Sometimes, the dissenting views might be cogent. But I want to assure you that whatever we did as a House was for the good of the State”.
The Speaker commended the Clerk, Management and staff of the Assembly for their support for the leadership and members of the House and said that; “I must tell you, we enjoyed working with your team. The Assembly staff are one of the best in the country. We ask that you keep up your good work for the Seventh Assembly. I also want to appreciate our Aides, we acknowledge all your efforts and support for us. Thank you for being there for us”.
