Valedictory session: Enugu Assembly passes 53 bills, 49 motions

Enugu State House of Assembly says its Sixth Assembly has passed 53 bills and 49 motions and resolutions.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Edward Ubosi, made this known in Enugu on Monday at the Valedictory Session to end the Sixth Assembly which started on June 6, 2015.

Ubosi said that this was the first time the assembly was organising a valedictory session since 1999.

He said that today was a special session in the lives of the legislative arm of Enugu state as it marked the successful end of the sixth assembly.

“It is not a mirage; it is by the grace of God. We could have not been the best in our constituencies; we probably could not have qualified for our existence here on earth.

“We are happy that we did not witness political intimidations, political harassment, political manipulations and above all, financial neglect.

“We enjoy unquantifiable freedom till the end, thanking God for his infinite mercy.

“It is not as if we never have challenges both internal and external but we have exhibited maturity in handling them. We have lived like brothers and sisters and also shared whatever came to us in common.

“The past has not been so easy for us but by the grace of God, we were able to conquer all challenges,’’ Ubosi said.

He commended his colleagues for their humility, doggedness, perseverance, intelligence and comportment in handling issues, most especially the state assignments.

Ubosi also commended the peace and love that existed among the legislators, saying that personal qualities that characterised the sixth assembly contributed to the achievements enumerated.

The speaker commended Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for providing for them an all-round enabling platform for the work they had done and the synergy that existed between them and the executive arm of government.

He said that he remained indebted to the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, for her support throughout his tenure as a speaker.

He thanked all the staff of the assembly for their dedication to duties and support they gave to the assembly to ease their job.

Ubosi wished his colleagues that were not coming back good luck in their future endeavour and also challenged the incoming members to be more organised, cooperative and dedicated in their tasks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that out of the 24 members of the assembly, 11 of them were returned while 13 were not returned.

In his remark, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Donatus Uzogbado, commended the state governor for giving them the enabling environment to operate.

Uzogbado thanked his colleagues who made it possible for them to land safely, describing legislative business as an aircraft.

He noted that when there is trouble in an aircraft, nobody would land safely.

In a related development, Chief Mathias Ekweremadu (PDP Aninri) said that the sixth assembly worked as a team, urging the incoming members to legislate well to move the state forward.

A member representing, Enugu East Rural, Chief Joseph Ugwumba thanked his constituency for their continuous support throughout his eight years in office.

Ugwumba called for the restructuring of the nation and also urged the house to accept any bill seeking restructuring.

In her contribution, a member representing Nsukka West Constituency, Mrs Nkechi Omeja-Ogbu, said that she learnt so much from her colleagues and urged them to work as a team for the betterment of the state

In the same vein, a former Speaker of the assembly in 1999, Chief Cletus Enebe, urged the incoming members to look into the provisions of the constitution before the removal of any speaker.

Enebe said that people were turning the word “removal’’ into “impeachment’’ thereby making it criminal in the eyes of the people.

He said the process of removing the President; a Governor and a Chief Judge were more complex than that of a Speaker, saying that the same process should be adopted when it comes to removal or impeachment of a speaker.