CALABAR, SEPTEMBER 4, 2016 – The Speaker, Cross River House of Assembly, Mr John Gaul-Lebo, on Sunday said the legislature had passed 26 bills and initiated 22 motions in the first legislative year.Gaul-Lebo disclosed this in Calabar during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
He explained that the assembly had proposed 50 bills in the first legislative year, 26 of which were passed, while 24 were still pending at various committees of the house.
He also said that out of the 22 motions brought before the house by members, 18 of them were considered while four were rejected.
He listed some of the bills to include Cross River Infrastructure Development Fund bill; Greater Calabar City Development bill; Water Front Infrastructure Agency bill; Kidnapping Prohibition Bill and Social Housing Scheme bill.
“During the year under review, June 2015 to June 2016, the Cross River House of Assembly proposed a total of 50 bills.
“Twenty six of these bills were passed into law while 24 are still being considered.
“The Cross River House of Assembly was rated the best in terms of legislative work by the Legislative Institute of Nigeria for the 2015/ 2016 legislative year.
“If you check the Institute of Legislative Studies in Nigeria, I think we are the only house of assembly with the highest number of bills passed in one year, “ he said.
The speaker maintained that most of the bills were people-oriented and meant to provide safety social services for the citizenry.
He said that the focus of the 2016/2017 legislative year was to support the reconstruction of the state’s economy by way of generating sufficient revenue for the state rather than over dependence on federal allocation.
