At its 175th Legislative Sitting on Wednesday, the Rivers State House of Assembly, consolidated the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, the Rivers State Local Government ( Amendment) Law of 2023, and the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Law No. 4 of 2024 to form a new Local Government Law that provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of the Local Government Councils and other matters connected thereto in the State.
Before passing the Bill, the House debated on the essence of consolidating all the Local Government Laws in the State, which they argued would make for ease of reference. Thereafter, in line with the rules of the House, the House resolved into Committee of the Whole and further X-rayed the cream of all the Laws to be consolidated.
Commenting on the Bill, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, posited that the intendment of the Bill is to consolidate all the Local Government Laws in the State to a one whole piece of Legislation.
Adumbrating further, the Speaker added that in consolidating the Laws, the House looked at some critical sections and amended them for effective management of staff of the Local Government Councils in the State in line with current realities; stressing that no single individual in borrowed ropes will be allowed to hold any Local Government Council to ransom.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Major Jack had called the attention of the House to a statement credited to Governor Siminialayi Fubara, wherein the Governor described the House as “non existent”.
Members who contributed on the information condemned the comment of the Governor, describing it variously as unguarded, and a direct affront to the grundnorm of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Remarking on the statement credited to the Governor, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, said it is a sad moment for Rivers State, emphasizing that he is not bewildered by Governor Fubara’s statement because he has always known Governor as a threat to democracy, given the role the Governor played in the burning and demolition of the hallowed Chamber of the House. “But we will not join the Governor in messy comments, we will continue to perform our constitutional functions as an institution and one of the tripod of democratic government” the Speaker said .
Also, on Wednesday, the House read for the second time the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill, sponsored by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule. Debating on the Bill, Members highlighted the benefits of the Bill, arguing that the Bill when passed will transform the entire value chain of the electricity market, and positively touch the economic life of the people of Rivers State.
Commenting on the Bill, the Speaker, Rt.Hon. Amaewhule stated that what the Bill seeks to do is to improve power supply in the State for business to thrive; emphasizing that since power is now in the concurrent list it is important for the State to have a legal framework for effective power supply. The Bill was then committed to the House Committee on Power to organize a public hearing on the Bill and report to the House before long.
Signed
Martins Wachukwu
S. A. Media Aide To The Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly
May, 8th, 2024
