C’River Lawmaker Challenges Citizens on Private Member Bills

story by crossriverwatch admin

The Minority Leader of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Alex Irek (ACN) has challenged the citizens of the state to present more private member bills to the House through their various representatives for legislations that will position the state for emerging challenges.

Hon. Irek representing Obubra State Constituency was speaking to crossriverwatch against the background of criticisms that have trailed the seven bills that the House passed in the out-gone legislative year.

While briefing newsmen on activities marking the end of the first legislative session of the House on Friday, June 7, 2012, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Larry Odey had said “the House passed seven bills into law and fifty six resolutions within its first legislative session in 2012”.

The bills according to the Speaker are: Cross River State Bureau of Statistics Bill 2011, Cross River State Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2011, and Cross River State Public Finance Management Bill 2011.

Others include: Cross River State Appropriation Bill 2012, Cross River State Public Procurement Bill 2011, Cross River State Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2011, Cross River State Geographic Information System (GIS) Agency Bill 2011.

Odey also said sixteen Matters of Urgent Public Importance and four public petitions were also deliberated upon during the period under review.

But some analysts dismissed the Speaker’s scorecard saying that passing seven bills in a whole legislative session was not a commendable job for a House that is ruling party (PDP) dominated.

According to Mr. Habib Haruna, Group Editor, Daily Independent Newspapers and public affairs commentator, “seven bills for a state that is almost a one party state in an entire legislative year amounts to laziness. If we take that for granted, let us advise that, now that the state has been stripped of seventy six oil wells, it is important that the state legislators become more creative in creating a legislative framework that will sprout other productive sectors of the state”

But the Minority Leader of the House Hon. Irek (ACN) said “the House to the best of our ability, within what was brought before us, tried to clear the bills as quick as possible. As you can see, most of the bills passed are executive bills. That is why we encourage our people to develop interest in the challenges their communities are facing and initiate bills for us to legislate on”.

“I think that the House is in the mode for serious work. We only want our people to participate in this process with us. To make inputs that will enable us be more productive and serve Cross River State better. They can do that by bringing in more private member bills and we look forward to seeing plenty of them” he said.