Bayelsa Assembly Receives Report on 2019 Appropriation Bill

  

                                                                       By Magens Inegba

 The Bayelsa State House of Assembly in its plenary session on Wednesday presided over by the Rt Honourable Speaker, Benson Friday Konbowei has received the report on this year’s 2019 Appropriation Bill.

Rt Honourable Speaker, Benson Friday Konbowei

                                                                            

  The report which was presented on the floor of the House by the Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Peter Pereotubo Akpe who is also the leader of the House followed a motion he moved seeking the presentation of the report which was seconded by Hon Parkinson A. Markmanuel, member representing Yenagoa Constituency I in the State House of Assembly.

  The report which now form part of the documents of the House and was handed over to the House Committee on Business to schedule a date for deliberation following a motion moved to adopt the report  by Hon Ogbere P. Michael, member represent Ekeremor Constituency III and seconded by Hon Salo Adikumo member representing Sagbama Constituency III.

   Meanwhile, the member representing Ogbia Constituency III in the State House of Assembly under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon Gabriel Michael Ogbara has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Hon Gabriel Michael Ogbara 

                                                                                        

   His defection follows a letter he wrote to the Rt Hon Speaker and was read at the plenary session of Wednesday at the Hallow Chambers of the House.

   The speaker, Rt Hon Benson Friday Konbowei welcomed him into the fold of PDP lawmakers in the House and commended him for the gesture.

    Also speaking, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon Peter Pereotubo Akpe described his defection as another landmark in the history of the State House of Assembly.

   He assured him to be accorded with all the privileges enjoyed by other PDP members in the State House of Assembly.

    In another development, the speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Benson Friday Konbowei has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adhere strictly to its constitutional responsibilities in the conduct of this week Saturday’s State House of Assembly supplementary elections scheduled on March 23^rd in the state.

   The speaker who gave the charge at the floor of the house while congratulating the members who won the last state House of Assembly’s election condemned the way INEC conducts election on a personal agenda contrary to the laws enshrined in the nation’s electoral act and the constitution.

    He stressed the need for INEC to use the police force in the forefront of conducting its election rather than using the military in the front and keeping the police force behind.

    The speaker further enjoined INEC to conduct the election in line with the laid down rules and principles to ensure free and fair elections.