Clement Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, has declared that lawmakers of the 5th Assembly in the state passed a total of 44 bills into law in the last four years.
Hon. Nwifuru made the declaration, on Wednesday, at the Executive Council Chambers, in Abakaliki, the State capital, while presenting a total of five laws recently passed by the lawmakers to Governor David Umahi for assent.
He reiterated that the state’s Assembly has equally passed several Motions and Resolutions, screening of nominees for appointments by Governor Umahi, among others, since the inauguration of the House in June 2015.
“The five laws presented to Governor Umahi today for assent brings the total number of laws passed by the State Assembly to 44, this is not excluding motions and letters emanating from the Chief Executive for screening and Confirmation of Nominees for appointments among others.”
The Speaker enumerated the five laws presented to the governor for assent to include “Law No 001 of 2019…..which is a law to establish School of Health Science at Ngbo ( Ohaukwu Local Government Area), Law No 002 of 2019 which seeks to establish Investors Protection , Law No 006 of 2019 that seeks to amend Ebonyi State Revenue Law, ”
Others included, ” Law No 007 of 2019 to amend Ebonyi State Pension Reform Matters in addition to establishing uniform regulation for payment of retirement benefits for retired Civil Servants.”
He said that the Law on Investor Protection would rekindle the confidence of investors in investing in the State stating that most investors fear interference stating ” a lot of projects have suffered in this country because of change of policies by successive Governments in the country.”
Hon. Nwifuru maintained that lawmakers of the 5th Assembly were committed in the discharge of their legislative duties and responsibilities as designated to them by the 1999 Nigeria Constitution, as amended.
Speaking after assenting to the bills, Governor Umahi, commended the lawmakers for the speedy passage of the bills, stressing that the laws were important for the transformation and accelerated infrastructural development of the state.
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He charged the state Ministry of Information/Orientation to give adequate publicity to the assented laws in order to create its general awareness by the citizenry of the State.
Speaking against the backdrop of incidences of Cultism and other related offenses in the state, Governor Umahi warned that the Government has declared total war on the menace and expressed determination to fight it head-long.
The governor disclosed that the office of the National Security Adviser Abuja had forwarded to him names of identified cultists in the State warning that anybody found culpable would be brought to book.
According to him, “Anybody whose names were among the list of cultists should not be allowed to form the new cabinet coming up in May 29th 2019.
“Cultism will be a big war, either I make the war in Ebonyi or the Federal Government would make the war, I have the names of cult members sent to the State by the office of the National Security Adviser.
“Anybody involved in Cultism would be brought to book, the National Security Adviser has written me, they have outlawed cultism as Terrorist Organisation, Cultism has never earned anybody any reputation,” he reiterated.
