By Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa
The member representing Ekeremor constituency one in the State House of Assembly, Hon.Tari Porri said the 6th Bayelsa State House of Assembly under the leadership of speaker Ingobere Abraham are not a mere ‘rubber stamp’ for the state government as been specualated in some quarters.
Tari explained that though members of the House enjoyed a cordial relationship with the state governor to the benefit of the state, it did not mean that they endorsed every opinion or demand of the governor.
The former Ijaw Youths council central zone chairman, explained that the lawmakers and the governor worked with understanding and cooperation in the interest of the people.
The lawmaker who is House committee chairman on information made this known to newsmen on Wednesday while addressing a press conference at the Assembly Complex in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He stated that, the sixth assembly has passed bills, motions and resolutions that have positively impacted on the life of Bayelsans.
He reminded that the executive and legislative arms of government are supposed to complement each other for the benefit of the people and not to engage in an unnecessary squabble in order to demonstrate independence.
He disclosed that the House received a total of 28 bills and passed 18 bills into law which has been assented to by the executive.
Porri further disclosed that the Assembly also moved and passed 10 motions and resolutions, noting that the House has been proactive in its constitutional responsibility assuring that when the House resumes on the 18th January, 2021 the pending 10 bills would be passed into law.
“So far, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly has done tremendously well , in the outgoing year , the assembly has been able to move and pass resolution over 10 motions, and no doubt, from inception of the 6th Assembly when we were inaugurated, we have received 28 bills and 18 has been passed into law while 10 are still pending.
” I am assuring Bayelsan that, the leadership of 6th Bayelsa Assembly under Rt.Hon.Abraham Ingobere leadership is determined to do justice for the mandate given to us by our constituents.
“Resolutions passed by this house are implemented, our schools now have teachers who reside in the staff quarters and all these are living proofs of our people’s oriented bills passed into law.
“The Bayelsa State Assembly now runs an autonomy, resolution passed by the house are been implemented by various millennium development goals and agencies.
“We are ever ready and determine to carry out our responsibilities, because we are the voice of the people and we will continue to ensure we deliver on our mandate.”
He noted that despite the hiccups experienced by the House occasioned by the novel Coronavirus, the #endsars protest and the devastating flood, the Assembly has been able to streamline government spending by passing the amended version of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, making Bayelsans to be part of the budgetary process.
Chairman House Committee on Information said that the Ngobere led House of Assembly will not waver in carrying out its oversight functions in making sure that approval and request by the executive are judiciously utilized.
Porri stated that approval for loans is part of members constitutional mandate, emphasizing that loans approved by the House are not for specific developmental projects but interventionist loans which are not going to be given to the government and promised to fully ensure that loans approvals by the House is followed to the letter in order for the executive to effectively implement such loans.
” So far the Bayelsa State House of Assembly has done tremendously well, in this outgoing year it has been able to move and passed into resolutions over 10 motions. Since inauguration on the 6th of June, 2019 till this moment the House has received well over 28 bills, and out of the 28 bills,18 has been passed into law and assented to by the executive.
” No doubt 10 bills are pending and I can assure Bayelsans that the Abraham Ngobere led Assembly is not relenting, is one man that is result oriented, very proactive. He is ever ready and determined to do Justice to bills presented and by the time we resume next year the remaining bills will be passed by the Assembly.
” The year 2020 has been eventful, first of all we were confronted in the early 2020 with the famous Coronavirus which led to the shutting down of the House, also we experienced the devastating flooding that led to again the shutting down of the Assembly and the endsars protest that impacted negatively on our productivity.
” In the midst of all these challenges, the Assembly has been able to do our oversight functions effectively. This year the Assembly for the first time passed the amended version to the Fiscal Responsibility Act which provides the opportunity for Bayelsans to participate in the budgetary process.
“Also, most approvals by the House of loans by the executive are not for specific developmental projects but are interventionist loans. Though we have the constitutional mandate to make approvals sent by the executive, we also have the constitutional mandate to follow such approvals to the letter to ensure that the executive implement such loans.
” Clearly, even the CBN zero digit repayment loan applied for has not been accessed and the Bayelsa Palm loan also has not been accessed. By the time these monies are made available is not going to be given to Bayelsa State Government, there is already a template on how the monies are to be spent. There are not approvals for Bayelsa State Government to spend, ” Porri stated
