By Jonathan Ugbal; Government House Correspondent
Cross River Governor, Ben Ayade Friday in Calabar became the first Governor to sign into law, 9 bills including the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Bill which brings to 23, the total number of bills signed so far in the life of the current administration.
The bills are 1. The Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Bill, 2. The Homeland Safety and Security bill, 3. Environment and Carbon Emissions bill, 4. Equal Opportunity and gender based discrimination bill, 5. Greater Calabar Development Agency bill, 6.The Cross River State University of Technology amendment bill which aims to reposition it to benefit from TETFUND, 7. Cross River State Revenue Administration amendment bill, 8. Harmonized levies bill and 9. Road Infrastructure and development bill.
“This is the product of deep vision” said Honorable John Lebo, the Speaker of the house of assembly while presenting the bills to the governor. “In the last year and 2 months, we have moved from being legislative architects to solution architects” Lebo added.
According to the Speaker, the 23 bills signed so far, “reflect 23 issues that were raised in the 100 issues raised in the legislative direction of the house at its inception”. with the bills divided into two major parts, 5 revenue bills and 4 social services bills. He disclosed that the house aims to send for assent, 100 bills at the end of the 8th assembly.
Signing the bills into law, Governor Ayade lauded the efforts of the assembly and charged them to do more as “The reward for hard work is more work”.
“In some states, this will be top news” Ayade said. “For you to convert government thoughts into shows passion. Some of this bills are even the products of social interactions and for you to even have the intellectuality to convert them into law”.
Also he said these acts of “sensitivity, understanding and verb” showed commitment to the people of Cross River State.
As a show of goodwill, Ayade doled out a cash gift of 1 million Naira to the sponsor of the Cross River State Homeland Safety and Security Agency bill, Honorable Eteng Jones.
Also, he called on the State Executive Council Members present to give the assembly members a standing ovation.
The member representing Etung/Obubra constituency in the federal house of representatives, Mike Etaba, Head of Service, Henshaw Ekpenyong, Commissioners, Assembly members and several other top government functionaries were present at the signing ceremony.
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