Imo Assembly Marks One Year In Office

The Imo House of Assembly, celebrated her one year in office last Monday.

In his special address, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu X-rayed the emergence of their leadership on the 7th of June, 2011 and their unrestricted zeal towards  the actualisation of their legislative responsibilities within a short period of time.

The Speaker expressed the willingness of the House to provide an effective and selfless democratic leadership to the people of the state and praised the working relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of the government for the general good of the people.

He re-emphasied the quality time and energy being put in by the Honourable members of the House in producing people-oriented laws and motions that had attracted the confidence and trust of Imo people.

Rt. Honourable Uwajumogu admitted the sacrificing of their statutory rights and privileges in order to have a successful government under the leadership of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, and lauded the participation of all the Honourable members in the execution of their oversight functions which had taken them to so many project monitoring exercises within one year.

In his remarks, the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha thanked the House members for their unquantifiable contributions towards the provision of certain developmental projects to the people of the state.

He praised the wonderful passage of Community Government Council Bill by the Imo House and counselled the Imolites to embrace it because of so many advantages attached.

Owelle, who equally used the opportunity to inform the public of the economic benefits derivable from the commercialisation policy of his administration.

Also speaking, Senator Osita Izunaso applauded the legislative activities of the House within a year and called for its sustenance.

He advised all the members not to be intimidated by the utterances of the people and called for the continued harmony between the executive and legislature so as to consolidate on the on-going project developments in the state.

The one year anniversary was marked with a special lecture delivered by Honourable Austin Opara (Former Deputy Speaker) on the topic: “Role of the legislature in an emerging democracy Overview of Nigerian Legislature 1999-2012”.

Rt. Hon. Opara called on the Imo House of Assembly to borrow a leaf from the National Assembly with the powers constitutionally conferred on it on the need to hold the executive accountable to the people.

He also called on them (Honourable members) to initiate and pass Bills that would make its body autonomous in the area of financial management stating that for any parliament to function optimally, the assembly must be vibrant, independent and corrupt free.