It’s Wednesday 3rd July, Welcome to a New Legislative Day in the House of Assembly of Abia State.
The Speaker Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji led other Principal Officers of the Abia State House of Assembly to the hallowed chambers of the House.
The Member representing Osisioma Ngwa North, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Njoku prayed before the commencement of the House sitting at exactly 12:19pm.
“Distinguished colleagues, you are welcome to today’s sitting, 3rd July 2019. As it is customary, can we go through the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 2nd July for the purposes of corrections and amendments” the Speaker declared.
ADOPTION OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS of TUESDAY 2ND JULY 2019.
The Leader of the House Hon. Solomon Akpulonu moved a motion that the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday, 2nd July be adopted as a working document of the House, the motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Hon. Abraham Oba and the House unianmously adopted it.
RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji announced the presence of students of NINLAND Demonstration Secondary School who came to watch the proceedings of the Abia State House of Assembly.
“It might interest you to note that yours truly attended school in this particular secondary school” the Speaker stated”.
MATTERS OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE.
Member representing Umunneochi State Constituency, Hon. (Barr.) Okey Igwe voiced a Motion of Urgent Public Importance over the lingering crises in Lokpanta Quarry Site in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. He spoke thus;
“Mr Speaker, I bring this motion with a broken heart. As you may know, Umunneochi, because of its location is typically saddled with boundary issues. The one i’m about to bring is about the quarry sites in Lokpanta, this site has been an issue between Umunneochi people and neighboring Ebonyi State”. He continued; “It was shocking to me that some couple of weeks I got news from my constituents that our neighbouring Ebonyi State entered the site, the law enforcement agents guarding that site started shooting, a youngman, Mr Ikedi Christian Egwu got shot and Mr. Speaker as I am talking to you, he is lying down in the mortuary. Mr. Speaker I am much aware that you are a champion of the youths…”. He stated.
PRAYERS
Hon. Igwe requested the following;
1)That the House issues a Resolution demanding that all law enforcement agents involved to call all their men to order.
2) Since the National Boundary Commission is saddled with the responsibility of resolving all boundary matters, the House should re-invite the National Boundary Commission so that no other life would be lost. He Submitted.
The Speaker sought inputs to the motion by the Honourable Members.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MOTION.
The Member for Isialangwa North, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe in his support to the motion said
“Mr Speaker I have listened carefully to the presentation by the Honourable Member for Umunneochi. Mr. Speaker I want to say that it is pathetic that in discharge of duties, a life was lost. I want to support what he has said that this House resolves for the maintenance of statusquo so that relevant agencies involved will ensure that the matter is settled amicably”. Hon. Onwusibe further said that
“I believe that the House should resolve and insist that businesses in that quarry site be suspended to enable the resolution of the dispute in that site, I want to support the motion by the Honourable member for Umunneochi. Thank you Mr Speaker” He summarized.
The Member representing Ukwa East State Constituency and Deputy Majority Leader of the House Hon. Paul Taribo in his contribution urged the House to revisit previous Resolutions passed by the Abia State House of Assembly on the subject matter which had been presented in the House by the immediate past lawmaker for Umunneochi State Constituency.
In His Own Support, the lawmaker representing Osisioma Ngwa South Hon. Nnamdi Allen Nwachukwu urged the House to establish a communication with Ebonyi State House of Assembly. He said;
“I believe we need urgent attention. We also need to communicate to Ebonyi State House of Assembly for synergy of whatever we resolve here”
The Member representing Bende North State Constituency Hon Chijioke Chukwu in his contribution, sought to add more prayers to the motion, thus;
“I will equally pray that this House investigate the circumstances of death,because if the victim families don’t get Justice, next time people would still take laws into their hands. I came from a community that is also close to Ebonyi State and I know what our people have been suffering”.
Commenting on the motion,the Speaker Rt. Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji regretted the unfortunate incident that happened in Umunneochi, saying that;
“I am sure that this is not the first time that this matter of Urgent Public Importance has been mentioned in this Honourable House,it is very very inhumane that we keep queit when there is a loss of life. I would also advice the Member for Umunneochi to look deeper whether those operations going on there are legal.
RESOLUTION BY THE HOUSE.
The House resolves;
(A) That the security agencies involved, that is the Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Security Services ensure that the truce already reached be implemented and to also go a step further to investigate over the loss of life in the matter.
MOTION FOR THE SUSPENSION OF THE HOUSE RULE.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Solomon Akpulonu raised a motion for the suspension of the House Order 9, Rule 59 sub 4 under Matters of Urgent Public Importance.
” Mr. Speaker I hereby move that we suspend the rule in our rule book, to enable us take more than one Matter of Urgent Public Importance”
The Motion was seconded by the Minority leader Hon. Abraham Oba, the Speaker put the motion to vote which the House accepted.
Other Matters of Urgent Public Importance.
Hon. Stanley Nwabuisi, the lawmaker representing Ikwuano State Constituency presented a Matter of Urgent Public Importance over abandonement of Estate Buildings in Abia State.
“Mr Speaker the House is aware of the growing of abandoned estates in Abia State. My investigation show that only the estate in the Ministry of Works has been done up to 70%”
Prayers.
(1)That the House resolves that the State Government revokes the Private Partnership Agreement entered with the real estate developers.
(2)That the Relevant Committees of the House be empowered to make further legislation in the subject matter.
Point Of Order
Hon (Barr)A.C Thomas raised a Point of Order.
“Mr Speaker May I refer you to Rule of this House Order 9 Rule 59,Sub Rule 3 states “that if the Matter of Urgent Public Importance, the consent of the Honourable Members be sort for Members to make meaningful Contribution, I therefore move that this Matter is not ripe for debate.
He was overulled by the Speaker.
Hon. Jerry Uzosike while speaking appreciated the Speaker for overulling Hon. Nkoro saying the motion was a sensitive matter.
“I strongly believe that Majority Of us are interested in this motion. When will the estate in the former Ministry of Works come to an end? In which year will the one at the Ministry of Lands be ready for habitation? we cannot fold our hands and allow this estates to be hijacked by criminals” He said.
Hon Mandela Obasi ,Member For Ohafia North State Constituency in his contribution advised the House to go a step further in getting details before arriving at a final decision.
The Member for Aba North Hon. Aaron Uzodike in his Contribution said.
“I want to support this motion on the grounds that the government entered the agreement under Public Private Partnership, before now the people involved would have informed the government while they have abandoned these projects”. The abandonment of these projects has contributed to stopping more Investors from investing in our State”
The Member for Arochukwu Hon Mike Ukoha in his support to the motion urged the House to apply caution.
“We have to support this motion with caution, at the end of the review, this house should be able to understand whether the developers have violated the Memorandum of Understanding Agreement”
Member For Isialangwa North Hon. Ginger Onwusibe while contributing to the motion urged the House to set up a committee to look into the matter.
“What I think we should do here is for Mr Speaker to set up a committee to look into the Companies that were given up these estates”.
The Member Representing Umunneochi State Constituency Hon Barr. Okey Igwe offered a conditional support to the motion.
” The motion borders on basic necessities of life,housing is a necessity, Public Private Partnership is the new way to go because government cannot do everything,I would say that this Honourable House should encourage Public Private Partnership ”
“In view of everything I have said,I Hereby offer my conditional support” Hon Igwe Concluded.
The Speaker explained while Hon Barr A.C Thomas Nkoro was overruled.
“The reason while the Member for Obingwa West was overruled was because he may not know if other members have been consulted over this motion”
Speaking Further He Said.
“If you come into a city and the first thing you see is abandoned house,the first thing you will say is that the government is not working, but it is the same government that encouraged private investors”
“I had expected that if those places are now being used by hoodlums, then this matter is expected to be discussed here”
“It could be that the C of O is been used for another thing, but you sit there and blame the government, Distinguished colleagues, if we must help this present government, then we have to do the needful.
SETTING UP OF COMMITTEES to Look into the two Matters of Urgent Public Importance.
The Speaker Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya announced the composition of the committees as follows.
Committee To Investigate Circumstance on the Lokpanta Quarry Sites
Deputy Speaker Rt.Hon IFEANYI Uchendu- Chairman
Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike
Hon Chukwudi Apugo
Hon Ginger Onwusibe
Hon Emeka Okoroafor
Committee For Investigation of the Circumstances Surrounding the Abandonement of Real Estates.
Hon Solomon Akpulonu – Chairman
Hon. Abraham Oba
Hon. Chukwu Chijioke
Hon. Barr.Emeka Okoroafor
Hon. Barr Jerry Uzosike
The Speaker announced addition names for the Previous Committees Constituted by the House of Assembly Yesterday.
ORDER PAPER
The Clerk of the House, Mr John Pedro Irokansi read items on the Order Paper.
(1) HAB1 2019 Abia State House of Assembly Commission For Second Reading.
(2) Adjournment.
The Leader of the House Hon. Solomon Akpulonu Moved a Motion that the Item Number 1 be referred to other Legislative Day and for the House to go straight to Adjournement of the Plenary to Monday 8th July 2019.
The Minority Leader Seconded the Motion while the Motion was put into vote by the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji.
The House subquently adjourned to Monday 8th July 2019 at 10am.
Courtesy: Media Unit,Office of the Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly.
