The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed into law the Rivers State Health sciences and management technology amendment bill 2023. The passage is sequel to a robust debate during plenary.
Commencing debate on the amendment bill, House leader, Edison Ehie said the amendment is on a very critical area of the principal law which seeks to insert a section that will provide that anybody that will head the institution will have a Doctorate degree in health sciences.
Edison Ehie explained that the amendment does not in any way worry or change the timetable of the existing law rather it seeks to correct an anomaly.
The leader who urged his colleagues to give the bill accelerated passage said the bill if passed into law will ensure that anybody that will head the college will be a professional in the field of science, while the college will conform with the National policy on tertiary institutions as well as international policies.
Deputy Speaker, Dumle Moal, Deputy Leader Linda Stewart , lawmaker representing ONELGA constituency one Nwabochi Franklin, and Obinna Nwankwo of Omuma constituency in their separate contributions supported the amendment bill saying it seeks to put the round peg in a round hole, adding that it will strengthen the administrative running of the school.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule while speaking at the end of debate on the bill explained that what the amendment sought was to introduce additional qualification of doctorate degree on health sciences in addition to other qualifications to the position of the provost.
The amendment bill was unanimously voted for by all members present who submitted that the school is a specialized school, so anybody that will head the institution will be professional in health sciences.
They also said the bill will also allow the institution to access grants and be in tune with the global educational practices.
