Assembly Frowns At Non Inclusion Of Rivers In FG Support For Flood-Ravaged States
The Rivers State House of Assembly has condemned in strong terms the exclusion of the State from the list of flood affected States in the country.
This followed a consolidated motion presented by the Majority Leader, Hon. Martin Amaewhule.
He noted that it was a calculated attempt by the Federal Government to punish Rivers State and deny the State a share of the over three billion naira flood intervention fund set aside by the Federal Government using one of its agencies, the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency.
The House also described as unjust the recall of excess crude oil Paris Club meant for the State and resolved to, in addition to addressing a world press conference to draw the attention of the international community to an alleged perceived injustice by the Federal Government, petition the National Assembly as well as the United Nations, informing them of the plight of Rivers State.
The House further resolved to write to Federal Government to direct the multinational oil companies operating in the flood affected areas to provide relief materials to the people.
Earlier, the lawmaker representing Ahoada West Constituency, Okpokiri Wanaka Okpokiri, had disclosed in dismay that over fifteen communities have been submerged in flood in the Orashi region, leaving at least three persons dead and thousands of persons displaced and prayed that permanent measures be put in place especially as flooding has become an annual occurrence.
In a separete development, the House has formally withdrawn an Executive Bill tagged the Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology Bill to pave way for a similar private member Bill known as the “Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Bill, 2018, “sponsored by the lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Constituency two, Michael Chinda.
The Bill was committed to the House Committee on Education by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi Ibani, after conclusion on its debate, with a mandate to conduct public hearing within fourteen days and report back to the House.
