Gov Emmanuel, Senator Akpabio Eulogize A’Ibom House of Assembly at 25

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio have attributed the pace of development being experienced or recorded in Akwa Ibom State to the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.

Both leaders of the state spoke on Friday in Uyo during the silver jubilee celebration of the State House of Assembly saying the Assembly in the years past has live to its responsibility. The Assembly was inaugurated on January 20, 1992.

The governor, who declared the anniversary opened lauded members of the House of Assembly for the great legislative work they have done for the past 25 years.

Specifically, the governor praised the present 6th Assembly for seeing that governance is not about grand standing and engaging in unnecessary tough warfare.

“We have enjoyed a robust and harmonious working relationship because we both regard as invested an emotional members in Akwa Ibom project. Where other Houses of Assembly else way engaged in rancor relationship with executive arm, here we work as brothers.

“So many State Houses of Assembly are unable to sit because of all kind of issues but here very harmoniously and peaceful and where there is unity certainly there must be progress and development”, the Governor noted.

Emmanuel observed that peace and stability is now becoming a trend in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and urged the state lawmakers to continue on the part of legislative excellent as the Assembly turned 25 years.

“I want to assure you that as far as we continue to work together to exist as one people there would always be that executive and legislative collaboration and cooperation without anything that will stop us as brothers with one project that is project Akwa Ibom”, he stressed.

On his part, Senator Godswill Akpabio who was the immediate past Governor of the state and the chairman of the silver jubilee anniversary of the State Assembly maintained that looking at the time the Assembly came into existence till now it would be discover that it is worth celebrating.

“We must take the House of Assembly seriously that at 25 years the House has done well. In my tenure we were shouting about uncommon transformation that would not have been possible if the House of Assembly did not cooperate with me”.

“The success of any administration begins with the House of Assembly. It is only the House of Assembly that can discipline the executive including the governor because the constitution gives that very wide power”, Akpabio said.

The Senator linked the inadequate infrastructure executed by either the federal or some state governments to poor budgetary provision, stressing that “if you do not budget for the capital projects then you don’t expect to develop the infrastructure”.

“It was only during my tenure that we succeeded to ensure that capital projects in the state go as high as 80 percent; recurrent expenses, pension, salary, traveling and others reduced to 20 percent. The House of Assembly worked with my administration to achieve that for 8 years.

“The problem we are having in the nation today is that 75 to 78 percent of the country’s federal resources go to the recurrent expenses, salary, pension and others.At the end people are hoping to have good roads. How would you succeed in doing that while in reality that was not appropriated for?

“We have to unburden the federal government. With over 480 federal parastatals and directors-general who also have security live like federal ministers, it mean the weight is too much on the federal government.

“And again we have 63 items on exclusive lists of the federal legislature we are advocating that there should be devolution of power that is what we call restructuring.

“We cannot continue to have so many things pack into the federal legislative list and the State House of Assembly is barred from it. As we do constitution amendment we must reduce a lot of things that flood the federal list and then give more power to the House of Assembly”, Akpabio declared.

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