Penultimate week, the state House of Assembly passed the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission Amendment Bill 2018 to law. The House, as majority of the lawmakers threw their weight behind the proposal to give room for all to aspire to the office.
The speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said the law seeks to remove any segregating clause, as it allow all qualified persons to aspire, and those in service can also grow within the rules.
Last week, however, after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) local government election primaries, the House sat on Thursday.
The issue of flooding and environmental challenges posed by poor urban planning dominated debate on the floor of the House.
The debate over haphazard urban planning and the attendant flooding that trails it stems from a petition sent to the House by Eligbolo Community and residents, who over the years have faced constant flooding that sacks many people from their houses.
Majority Leader of the House, Hon Martins Amaewhule and Hon. Michael Chinda took the lead in the debate over the petition, after chairman of the committee detailed to investigate the matter, Hon. Bariene Deeyah of Khana Constituency I submitted his report.
Hon. Chinda had argued that the flooding was as a result of poor urban planning and building control by the local authorities. He wondered how the authorities would allow people to build on natural canals.
The lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II insisted that while the report was detailed there was still some hiccups in the areas where there are no specifications, as to identify properties or houses that are responsible for blocking the free flow of water in the neighbourhood.
Chief Whip of the Assembly and lawmaker for Ogu/Bolo State Constituency, Hon Evans Bipi urged the House to compel on the Bariene led-committee to go back and do a proper report that will be specific. This he believed will help the legislators debate and arrive at a better conclusion.
In his response, Hon Bariene Deeyah observed that the committee did a through job, but rather that some aspects of the report were very technical, since they are in tandem with the law. Deeyah stressed that, “the recommendation of the committee is that the law should be applied”.
Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Ibani in concluding debate on the matter decried the dangers posed by flooding in most parts of the state.
He said: “It’s my hope that every resolution should be taken seriously because the report touches on the lives of the people and their livehood. The issue of perennial or flash flooding is serious, so it’s a report we must take seriously.
Further debate on the matter was adjourned to the next sitting this week, as the majority leader thanked his colleagues for the debate to give the report speedy attention.