By Agnes Igwe, Abakaliki
The Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development and member representing Abakaliki South constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon Franca Okpo, has solicited the involvement of more women in the lawmaking process in the state.
Okpo, who is the only woman from 5th Assembly re-elected to serve in the 6th Assembly, expressed worry that they were just three women in the 5th Assembly, but now she would be the only female out of 24 members in the 6th Assembly. This she said was far against the 35 percentage affirmation for women.
She pleaded for more support and encouragement, both financially and otherwise, to enable women be in the corridors of power to enable them to contribute their quota in enacting developmental laws that would uplift the state to greater heights.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State 5th Assembly valedictory session, where eight out of 24 members bowed out of service, featured presence of a group of former legislators, who suggested the making of laws to stipulate provision of allowances for former lawmakers as obtainable for the Executive, for their contributions to the progress of the state.
In his speech, the Speaker, Rt. Hon Francis Nwifuru, a third timer elected into the Assembly since 2011 to represent Izzi East constituency, revealed that the 5th Assembly made history by passing a total of 49 bills into law.
He added that all the bills had been assented to by Governor David Umahi.
The Assembly, he added, also passed 285 landmark resolutions, which were already impacting positively on the lives of the constituents.
Nwifuru said, “It is worthy of note that within the 5th Assembly, which I presided over as honourable Speaker, we initiated the reconstruction of the hitherto obsolete legislative chamber and with the approval of Governor David Umahi, we started and completed this beautiful legislative complex within 18months.
“The fifth Assembly passed the highest number of bills in the history of Ebonyi State House of Assembly. We passed a total of forty nine (49) bills into law; which have all been assented to by the executive governor of the state and 285 resolutions, which are impacting positively on the lives of our highly revered constitutes.
“We equally handled effectively letters emanating from the office of the Governor seeking legislative approvals and authentications. We screened and confirmed Governor’s nominees for appointments and other issues of legislative concerns brought before the Honourable House, including valedictory sessions for our departed former Honourable Members.”
He also noted that it was under the 5th Assembly that they were able to influence the governor to constitute the House of Assembly Commission within six months of their inauguration.
He commended the members for their courage, maturity and sense of brotherhood, which he said gave room for the smooth operation of legislative business of the House throughout the four years.
The Deputy Speaker, Odefa Obasi Odefa, and other lawmakers took turn to share their experience as members of the 5th Assembly and commended their constituents for giving them the opportunity to serve.
Out of the 24 lawmakers that formed the 5th Assembly, 16 of them, including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, were reelected and will form part of the 6th Assembly that would be inaugurated on Tuesday by the governor.
