JUST-IN: Assembly Speaker Assures Cross Riverians Of Transparency In Constitutional Amendment Voting

By Ogar Monday; House of Assembly Correspondent

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. John Gaul Lebo has assured Cross Riverians that the resolutions reached today at the public hearing of the constitutional amendment will be adopted in the final voting at the floor of the Assembly.

The Speaker who was speaking to the press at the Cultural Center Complex, venue of the Public Hearing on the constitutional amendment in Calabar the Cross River State capital, said the Assembly had set up a Committee to listen to all views presented at the public hearing and submit same to the Assembly.

His words, “There is a Rapporteur Committee that will consider the report and will prepare a report that will be presented at the Committee of the whole at plenary. From plenary we are going to go into vote, the voting will be open and will be done clause by clause, item by item and member by member.”

Adding that, “We won’t put the question in nays and ayes; it will be individual, for each member to now represent what his constituents voted for today.”

At the hearing Akamkpa 1 and 2, Bakassi, Boki 1, Bekwarra, Biase, Calabar Municipal, Calabar South 2, Ikom1 and 2, Obanliku, Obubra 1 and 2, Obudu, Odukpani, Ogoja, Yakurr 2, Yala1 and 2,  Etung State constituencies all voted in support of all the 15 items in the alteration.

Abi objected to alteration 5 and 6, Boki 2 alteration 9, Calabar South 1 alteration 7 and Akpabuyo alteration 12 and 15

There was a mild drama when the representative from Yakurr1 State constituency took the podium and started making his presentation, as soon as he voiced his opposition to Local Government autonomy, the crowd started jeering him, with some others throwing sachet water at him to leave the stage, the organizers had to ask him to leave before the hearing continued.

While reacting to that, Engr. Wofai Ewa from the same constituency said the member doesn’t represent the people of Yakurr1 as no stakeholders engagement was held back at their constituency.

Wofai added that the people of Yakurr1 are fully in support of Local Government Autonomy and will not work against it.