Judicial and parliamentary workers in Delta State can now heave a sigh of relief as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa assented to the bills that will grant them financial autonomy.
The governor had signed three other bills presented to him by the Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, accompanied by principal officers of the house into law.
The bills include the Delta State University (Amendment) bill 2021, Delta State Printing and Publishing Corporation (Amendment) bill, 2021, Delta State House of Assembly Service (Establishment etc.) bill, 2021; Delta State House of Assembly Fund Management (Financial Autonomy) bill, 2021 and Delta State Judiciary Fund Management (Financial Autonomy) bill, 2021.
According to him, the bills were very important in the life of his administration, explaining that the amendment to Delta State University Law was needed in order to give effect to the Dennis Osadebay University to return the faculties of Agriculture, Management and Environmental Sciences from Asaba to Abraka.
“But, very important are the two bills that give autonomy to Delta State House of Assembly and the State Judiciary.
“You will recall that in the last two years we have been operating autonomy for the House of Assembly, but because of the recent events in our nation, it became necessary to have an amendment to that law which we had previously passed as a state to conform with that being done across the nation.
“We had to repeal the initial law to re-enact the Delta State House of Assembly Fund Management Bill which has just been signed into law.
“In the same vein, the State Judiciary Fund Management Law had to be repealed also and to be re-enacted in conformity with the agreements reached among all the states of the federation.
“I am truly glad that today we have given full and acceptable financial autonomy to both the House of Assembly and the Judiciary.
He thanked the lawmakers for their cooperation and collaboration, noting that his administration had achieved a lot because of the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature.
Earlier, the Speaker, Oborevwori had said that the assembly had been enjoying financial autonomy since 2019 but needed to repeal the existing law to conform with the agreements reached by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and relevant stakeholders.
He said that the Delta State University Amendment Law would enable the state government to transfer the Faculties of Agriculture and Management Sciences from the defunct Anwai campus of Delta State University to the main campus at Abraka following the establishment of Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
