Rivers Assembly Passes Chieftaincy Bill …Directs Revenue Board Chairman To Re-Appear    

The Rivers State House
of Assembly has passed the State Chieftiancy and Council of Chiefs  Bill 2014  even as the lawmakers asked the Chairman of the state Internal Revenue Board to reappear before the House with documents that show payment of taxes to the state.
The lawmakers had last Wednesday deferred the debate to yesterday after a heated argument  over the bill and  payment of salaries of traditional rulers occupying ethnic stools.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Chidi Lloyd noted that what the committee did  was a technical work and said the law as it was now had a lot of mistakes in the classification of chieftaincy stools.
Lloyd said there were stools that existed in local government areas other than where they were domiciled such as Nye we eli Obuduga, which he said appeared under Ikwerre Local Government Area, stressing that what they did as a committee was to ensure that they put all the chieftaincy stools in proper perspective as it is contained in the first schedule of the committee report.
According to him,’’ we also look at some certain thorny areas in the law which also include the ouster of the power of the court from hearing any chieftaincy matter, saying, it was not important to say that no court shall have jurisdiction to entertain chieftaincy matters.
“We identified certain stools in Rivers State  whose jurisdiction extends beyond  local government of origin.
The Amanayabo of Kalabari is the Amanayabo of all Kalabari people both at home and  in the diaspora as the fragmentation of local governments did not elude him not to be allowed to acquire just liabilities that come from those areas where his jurisdiction extends to and recommended that he should enjoy access that comes from those local governments he superintends over.
He warned that they are not making a law targeting an individual, adding that  no occupant of any stool will remain there forever as he urged his colleagues to look at the report dispassionately without bias
The committee recommended that  before a Governor can withdraw certificate of recognition from any First Class Chief or any other Chief, the chief must have been investigated, and given a fair hearing of the case.
Hon Gift Wokacha who represents Ogba Egbema/ Ndoni Constituency 1 commended the committee for a work well done but said the issue present was an issue of law and any law that is made has to stand the test of time.          He said there are issues that must be look in to objectively and critically evaluate them and see whether they are in order..
He said the recommendation that an ethnic stool should receive payments from other local government where his jurisdictions extend to is not feasible

But, In his contribution, Hon Onari Brown, representing Akuku Toru 1 also kicked against the sharing formula and said he was not against the ethnic stool receiving stipends from other Local government where he superdents but the percentage should be lesser that what he gets from his area where he domiciles.
Others who made their contributions includes Hon Sam Eligwe, Hon Ibiso Nwuche, and Hon. Lucky Odili who did not share the same views.
Based on the arguments, the Speaker, Rt.Hon Otelemaba Dan Amaechree divided the house and it was resolved that the bill be passed in to law.

Meanwhile, The Speaker however directed the Clark to inform the executive that the bill has been passed in to law.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has directed the Chairman of  the state Internal Revenue Board, Mrs Onene Osila Obele –Oshoko has been dircted to re appear before the state House of Assembly in the legislative day.

The speake, Rt.Hon Otelemaba Dan-Amaechree directed that Mrs Oshoko to re appear with documents relating to internal revenue generation of the state.

The directive came following the inability of the Chairman of the Internal Revenue Board failure to respond promptly to questions posed to her by the lawmakers

Mrs Obele-Oshoko was directed to appear before the House following the dwindling internal revenue of the state from the average of about  #17billion to #13billion monthly.Those summon along side the Chairman of the Internal Revenue service includes, the commissioner of Finace, Dr Chambelian Peterside, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Generation, Chief Nwankwo Nwankwo.

The House leader, Hon Chidi Lloyd informed the invitees that the invitation was born out of a motion from the deputy leader who was worried about the dwindling revenue of the state, noted that it was unfortunate that the board Chairman came without preparation

Lloyd disclosed that for the past three years artisants,shop owners have not paid tax to the state government, stating that it has cost the state government very much