From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State House of Assembly has overridden Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s assent to pass the Rivers State Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2024 into law.
The House, at its 173rd sitting, yesterday, said it took the decision to override the governor after he withheld his assent.
The House passed the Rivers State Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2024, on March 26, 2024, and transmitted it to the governor for assent, but the governor allegedly declined.
Commenting on the Bill which was represented by the Majority Leader, Major Jack, and debated upon by members, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, reiterated the essence of the Bill, which is to secure taxpayers’ money, and to ensure that the taxpayers’ money are not spent on frivolities and twisted contracts.
He bemoaned a situation, where due process is relegated to the background, contracts awarded without legal backing, and the state being governed in a dictatorial manner.
The Speaker added that despite all the malfeasance, the House would continue to uphold the laws of Rivers State and the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as altered.
He stressed that if the governor continues in this manner, the House would, at the appropriate time, take more stringent measures, because according to him, the House cannot stand aloof and watch the governor breach the laws of the state in a tyrannical manner.
Thereafter, the House in accordance with the provisions of Section 100 (5) of the 1999 constitution, as altered, voted and with a two-third majority of votes, passed the bill into law.
In another development, Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, Ignatius Onwuka, presented a preliminary report on the petition by two local government chairmen, wherein he stated the agony of the staff of Emohua Local Government Area, who, he said has not been paid salary for two months on the directive of the acting chairman of the Local Government Service Commission to those responsible for signing requisite documents.
Onwuka described the so-called acting chairman as an imposter, stressing that such a position was not known to law in the state.
Commenting on the report, the Speaker condemned the recalcitrance of the official, who parades himself as the acting chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, adding that it was the result of administrative lawlessness being encouraged by the government.
The Speaker emphasised that the House would not fold its arms and see the staff of Emohua Local Government Council suffer, and, therefore, resolved to mandate the Committee to again invite the Commission’s Secretary, and where he fails to appear before the Committee, the House will invoke its powers by issuing a warrant of arrest.
Also yesterday, the Rivers State Electricity Market Bill, 2024, sponsored by the Speaker, Amaewhule, was read for the first time on the floor of the House.
The speaker said it was a nill for a law to repeal the Rivers State Electricity and Gas Board law CAP 50, Laws of Rivers State,1999; and to enact the Rivers State Electricity Market law to provide for electricity supply, its power generation, transmission and distribution within Rivers State, to establish the Rivers State Electricity Commission for the enforcement of consumers’ right and obligation and for connected purposes.
Similarly, the Rivers State Local Government (Consolidation) Bill, 2024, was presented by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, and read for the first time.
The bill seeks to consolidate all the Local Government laws in the state for ease of reference.