Rivers Assembly Approves N100bn Bond For Amaechi

The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday approved N100billion bond for the smooth running of the state government.

The approval followed a letter from Governor Chibuike Amaechi requesting the House to authorise issuance of the bond.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan- Amachree pronounced the approval of the loan after a heated debate on the bond by the state lawmakers during the plenary held at the old Government House auditorium, Port Harcourt.

Dan-Amachree said the purpose of the bond was to finance ongoing infrastructural projects contained in the 2014 budget presented by Governor Amaechi.

According to the Speaker, the bond was included in the recently passed budget, which brought the total figure to N485billion, adding that without the approval of the House, the bond would not be issued.

Meanwhile, Rivers State governor and chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has attributed the dwindling fortunes of the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state to the rising insecurity in the state.

Amaechi stated this  yesterday when officers and students of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Plateau State paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.

The governor said the insecurity came when desperate politicians resorted to power play at the national level ahead of the 2015 elections and the recent influx of political thugs and miscreants that were chased out of the state when he assumed office in 2007.

In his submission, Deputy Speaker, Leyii Kwanee, urged his colleagues to approve the issuance, to enable the state government to complete numerous ongoing projects in the state.

He stated that notwithstanding the crisis rocking the state House of Assembly, no amount of intimidation would deter them from carrying out their legislative functions for the benefit of Rivers people.

Majority of the members argued against the bill, saying that the commissioner of finance should be invited for explanation on the last bond approved by the House.

The lawmakers including the Deputy House Leader, Robinson Ewor (Ahoada East I), Golden Chioma (Etche Constituency II), Josiah Olu (Eleme Constituency) and Victoria Nyeche (Phalga Constituency I), maintained that the House owed Rivers people an explanation on how their money was spent in order to avoid doubts.

However, the Speaker later appealed to his colleagues to approve the request and the House was divided. At last, they approved the bond.

The House also committed two bills, including the Bill on Waste Management and the Bill on Tax Harmonisation, to committee stage and deferred debate on the Bill on Customary Court.

Twenty-one members of the House, including the Speaker, participated in yesterday’s sitting, as the House later adjourned sine dine.

- Leadership

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