Rt Hon. Uche Ugwu, the new speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly has assured that the House under his leadership will be fair to all irrespective of their political party and make people oriented laws.
JOURNALIST101 reports that Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was elected the speaker of the 8th Assembly unopposed on Tuesday, 13th June 2023.
In his inaugural address, the Speaker assured that the Assembly will leave up to expectation and “align themselves with the disruptive innovation of the Governor, Barr. Peter Mbah.”
He assured that the House “shall adopt discussion, positive engagement rather than confrontation with the Executives in the interest of the People of Enugu State” and promote laws that will make the Governor deliver on his promises to the people of the state.
Reacting to the composition of the House which is made up of Labour Party and the PDP, Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu said that “the diversity in the House which has never been seen before since the return of democracy in 1999 will be a source of strength and will not divide us.”
The current House is made up 14 Labour Party members and 10 PDP members.
Why Labour Party that’s
Majority didn’t produce the Speaker and Deputy Speaker
The order of the House as enacted by the 7th Assembly stipulates that the order can’t be changed before inauguration.
Before now, Sections 54, 96, 105 and 311 of Nigeria’s Constitution 1999 did not adequately provide regulations on procedures of the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the country’s legislative houses, particularly the State Houses of Assembly.
However, the National Assembly, in 2023, enacted an Act which altered the provisions of the sections to adequately regulate the first session and inauguration of members-elect of both the National and State Houses of Assembly.
With respect to the State Houses of Assembly, the altered provision of Section 105 (4) of the constitution, insists that the standing orders of a state house of assembly before its dissolution must apply in the first session of a new assembly.
“The standing orders of the house of assembly before its dissolution under section 105 of the constitution shall apply in relation to the proceedings of the first session of the state house of assembly convened by the governor pursuant to his powers under this constitution,” the section read.
The implication of this constitutional provision is that the lawmakers-elect cannot change the standing orders of the departed 7th assembly of Enugu State.
Subsection five of the altered section (105) highlighted the period within which the standing orders may be changed.
“The standing orders of a legislative house before its dissolution under section 64 or 105 of this constitution may be modified within such a reasonable time after the inauguration and first session with the proceedings of the newly inaugurated legislative house,” the section states.
