From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Cross River State House of Assembly, the Leader of the legislature, Rt. Hon Hilary Bisong, has promised to set the tone for socio-economic policies for good governance expand stakeholder engagements if elected speaker.
The State 10th Assembly would be inaugurated on Monday, June 13 and the speakership position has been reportedly micro-zoned to Ikom-Boki federal constituency by the party leadership with Rt. Hon Hilary Bisong, Boki II, a third term member, and Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Ikom II, in the race for who leads the the second are of government.
Speaking about his programme for the House in Calabar at the weekend, Hilary Bisong, stated that if he emerges as the speaker, Cross Rivererians should expect a solution-providing House of Assembly that warehouse the government’s policies and provide a legislative framework for such policies to operate.
Bisong, who is a United Nations peace ambassador, said there are certain laws that cannot meet the present age of governance that should be looked into including the traditional rulers edict, promulgating legislation for workable and realistic budgets.
According to him, “the budgets must meet international best practice, with positive performance, which would bring grants to the State just as we would take our budgets to African Development Bank, ECOWAS Bank for support.
“Giving the administration legislative instruments that will bring multinational organisations and donor agencies back to Cross River, encouraging a due process regime that meets the need of open governance and would amend the counterpart fund law to attract more donor projects to the state. We would also engage citizens and stakeholders so that an effective waste management policy that meets the need of time can be provided.”
Explaining on competence and capacity to lead the Assembly, he disclosed that he has initialed and sponsored over 15 bills including the Corona Virus bill, the Cross River State public complaint and anti-corruption bill, aimed at insulating the state’s finances from being taken by the federal government, the Safety Commission bill, Corporate Social Responsibility bill and the Corporate Social Responsibility bill, done to to determine and regulate what private companies in the State should do as their own quota to the development of the State as well as the amendment of the Tourism Bureau bill.
On the issues of Bakassi, he said: “The people of Bakassi have suffered a lot from the ceding of Bakassi peninsula and lack of respect for the Green tree agreement. We should provide mechanisms that would bring succour to the people by creating Bakassi Commission to cater for the welfare of the displaced people.
Reacting to the issue of Boki presently holding several political positions, the astute lawmaker defended Boki’s position by reeling out names of local government areas that had occupied more than one position at the both state and national levels since 1999 to include Bekwara where Kanu Agabi (SAN) and Dr. Mike Ogar (of blessed memory) were Senator and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Obanliku where Felix Ugbo and Frank Adah were Secretary to the State Government speaker respectively, Obudu where Ben Ayade, Goddy Jeddy Agba and Prof. Zana Akpagu where Governor and minister and Vice Chancellor respectively in Ogoja where Patrick Egbodor and Gabe Eddy were member federal house member and speaker.
Furthermore, he stated that in Yala John Odey, Rose Oko and Larry Odey were minister, federal house member speaker respectively, in Yakurr where Obeten Okorn were in the federal house and Speaker and in Akamkpa where Ntufam John Achort Okon, Daniel Asuquo and Itaya Nyong as state chairman of party and House of Representatives member and deputy speaker respectively.
Further explaining that some locaal areas in the south have also benefited from more positions at a time, Bisong said Odukpani once produced Ekpo Okon, Efiok Cobham and Prince Bassey Otu as state chairman of party, deputy governor and federal house member respectively and Otu again later Senator, Akpabuyo had Donald Duke, Dominic Aqua Edem and Essien Ayi as governor, deputy speaker member federal house. He added that presently the governor, southern senator and federal house member for Calabar Municipal/Odukpani are all from Odukpani.
Insisting that the state shares is governor, deputy governor and speaker among the three senatorial districts, Bisong maintained that Ikom is not empty as being bandied about as it has occupied the federal house position from 2015 including federal house and deputy leader positions while Boki had none, adding that what the Assembly needs a robust and vibrant legislature to re-engineer most of the economic decisions he would be taking at the long run to put the state in the right course.
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