Oborevwori  Calls For Collaborative   Legislative   Efforts  To  Tackle  Environmental,  Economic,  Other  Challenges  Confronting  Delta, Rivers  As Two- Day  Orientation Programme Opens  In Port  Harcourt 

The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has called  for collaborative efforts between the  Legislatures in Rivers and Delta States to proffer solutions to the  numerous environmental,  social, economic, health and physical challenges confronting the two states.

In his goodwill message on Monday  at the opening of a two-day  Orientation Workshop organised by Konrad  Adenauer Siftung for members -elect of  Rivers and Delta States Houses of Assembly, at the Novotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the  Speaker expressed appreciation to the organizer of the workshop for extending the Orientation programme to members -elect of the Seventh Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly.

According to him, the workshop apart from being an Orientation programme for members -elect of both Rivers and Delta State Houses of Assembly,  it was  also an opportunity for the two state Houses of Assembly to exchange ideas and compare notes.

He said that Rivers and Delta State have so many features in common, saying that both states are situated in the Niger Delta Region and having similar terrain and topography .

“They are both oil producing states and therefore,  face similar environmental  challenges. Both states also have in common people speaking identical dialects. Last but not the least,  Rivers and Delta State share the same political ideology as their Governments belong to the same political party,  the PDP “, he said.

The  Speaker added that; “I took pains to draw this analogy to drive home the point that Rivers and Delta States and indeed other states in the  South South region in Nigeria need to collaborate at the regional level to bring development to our people. The  fulcrum of this unity to bring economic emancipation of our people is no other institution but the Legislatures of these states. We therefore need to work together to formulate policies and programmes, and work out a regional development road map for the South South region”.

” I  believe that this meeting is divine and I hope that we will continue to engage as sister Legislatures to proffer solutions to the numerous environmental, social, economic, health and physical challenges confronting our states. If it were possible, I would have ruled that we held intermittent joint sittings for both Houses of Assembly”, he said.

The Speaker requested Konrad Adenauer Siftung to consider Delta State House of Assembly as one of its catchment Assemblies in Nigeria for capacity building, adding that,  “Our members and staff are ambitious for knowledge and are open and always ready to learn new skills in Legislative practice and procedures”.

The Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Siftung  ( KAS ), Dr Vladimir Kreck in a welcome address, enjoined members -elect of Rivers and Delta States Houses of Assembly to take the Orientation Workshop seriously .

Rt.Hon Ikuinyi -Owaji  Ibani,  Speaker,  Rivers State House of Assembly, also gave a  goodwill message.

A paper, “The  Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria  (1999) as Amended and the  Concept of  Seperation of Power” was delivered    by Dr Tunji  Ogunyemi,  Head of Department,  History,  Obafemi Awolowo  University  (OAU), Ile-Ife and Legislative Functions,  Process,  Power, Ethics and  Privileges  was presented  by Barrister Ayuba Gongu,  office of the  head of Service,  Plateau state.

Parliamentary Protocol — standing orders,  motions,  debates,  resolutions  was taken  by Dr Ebi  Franklin Waboke,  director Legislative Drafting,  Delta State House of Assembly just as Introduction to Conflict Management for Legislators was  delivered  by   Prof  (Dr) Tajudeen  Akanji,  Director,  Institute for  Peace and Strategic Studies  (IPSS), University of Ibadan.