ABHA One year anniversary: lawmakers enact one law, justify non inauguration of Uzodike

Stephanie Clems, Umuahia
Abia state house of Assembly says it has carried out its functions creditably and peacefully since its inauguration one year ago.

Speaker of the house of assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa in his first ever media conference in one year said the 8th assembly had been able to make a total of five (5) laws out of fifteen (15) bills it received.

These laws include the amended 2023 appropriation law, 2024 appropriation law, the governor and deputy governor pension repeal law, the Greater Aba Development Agency (GADA) law and the health insurance law. Out of these five the GADA law and repeal law with the two appropriation laws are all executive laws.

Speaker Emeruwa said the 8th session had remained peaceful even with the initial disagreements.

According to him, the legislature in the state understands it’s roles and functions hence the reason it engages with the executive arm of government on critical issues before they become government policy.

He said people misconstrue their peaceful disposition for weakness or lack of knowledge of what they were expected to do.

The speaker also threatened to terminate the contract with Innoson motors limited for failing to supply the official vehicles of house members one year later, saying they have ran out of patience.

According to him, “Innoson has received all the money he needs to produce the vehicles but has reneged ten times…….they have up to the end of the month to supply those vehicles or we will be forced to terminate the contract.”

While answering questions from journalists, the speaker who assured of readiness to inaugurate Aaron Uzodike of the people’s democratic party as member representing Aba North state constituency seven months after the apex court ruled in his favour said that the ruling did not however mandate him to do so.

In the speaker’s words,

“The court had to interpret the CTC he has and affirmed that the court gave the judgement and declared him winner and also mandated INEC to give him the certificate of return, but did not mandate the speaker or anybody else to swear him in.”

He said the assembly has achieved some milestone in one year while hoping to do better subsequently.
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He took a swipe at the management of Innoson motors for delaying the delivery of their official vehicles one year later.
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Deputy speaker Austin Okezie and the majority leader both gave more insights into some of the activities of the assembly in one year which included oversight functions of the assembly on appointees and government agencies.