Assembly Postpones Plenary

There was a lull in the activities of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RVHA) last week, as the House postponed its plenary earlier billed for last Tuesday.
Though, many lawmakers were punctual to the Assembly, they only came to their various offices to carry out other legislative assignments.
While some were attending to visitors and complaints from the public, others were busy with activities of their various House Committees.
However, the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon Christian Ahiakwo, last Thursday, hosted the Assembly Press Corps led by its chairman, Mr Alwell Ene, at his office in Port Harcourt.
Hon Ahiakwo was honoured with Award of Excellence by the Assembly Press Corps as the most outstanding House Committee Chairman of  the two years of the 8th Assembly in the state.
Presenting the award, the Assembly Press Corps Chairman,  Alwell Ene, said the award to Ahiakwo was based on the assessment report by the press corps,  assessment committee on the performances of the lawmakers in the House.
He said the report identified Ahiakwo, the lawmaker representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constituency I, as the most productive house committee chairman after two years of the 8th Assembly.
Ene said Ahiakwo, as chairman of environment committee in the House, has led the committee’s members to several oversight functions that have direct bearing on the Rivers’ people and the environment.
He said, Hon Ahiakwo for instance has embarked on several missions to ensure that the issue of black soots is solved.
According to him, Ahiakwo’s committee has liaised with other environmental agencies, including ministry of environment, to check the activities of individuals and industries on the environment in the state.
The Press Corps Chairman also recalled how Ahiakwo, as environment committee chairman, in conjunction with the state ministry of environment and the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIVAMN), held the recent Port Harcourt Environmental Summit to have a framework for a bill to enact law for sustainable environment in Rivers State, a gesture he described as first in the history of the Assembly.
Ene commended the lawmaker, saying that the award would spur him to maintain his good work in the Assembly.
Receiving the award, Hon Christian Ahiakwo dedicated the award to the Almighty God and the members of the committee, who gave him all the necessary support.
He also dedicated the award to his constituency who voted for him to prove his mettle in the House.
The lawmaker further dedicated the award to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike for the support and policy that provided the forum and platform that made some of the efforts to be very fruitful in the House.
He said the award would spur him to do more by the end of the next two years of the Assembly.

Enoch Epelle