The bills
include Rivers State Education (Return of Schools) Amendment Number 1 Law,
Number 1 of 2017, Rivers State Honours Law Number 2 of 2017, Rivers State
Reserve Fund (Repeal) Law Number 3 of 2017, Rivers State University Law Number
4 of 2017 and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Law Number 5 of 2017.
Governor
Wike lauded the Assembly for its commitment to the rapid development of the
state.
He said
Return of School Law was vital because it would permit the government to
intervene in mission schools already returned to their owners.
The governor
said the bill would help in the sustenance of quality of education in mission
schools returned by the government to their previous owners.
He explained
that the Rivers State Reserve Fund (Repeal) Law Number 3 of 2017 became
necessary as the law was no longer relevant following alleged financial
recklessness of the immediate past All Progressives Congress (APC)
administration in the state.
Wike alleged
the administration refused to respect the law as it indiscriminately withdrew
funds meant for the future.
He said:
“Between February 12, 2014 and May 27, 2015, they (immediate past APC
administration in the state) withdrew N53 billion without passing through due
process.
“The state
is today suffering from the financial recklessness of that administration as it
squandered state resources through illegal withdrawals,” he said.
He added
that the Rivers State University Law Number 4 of 2017 was done to avert loss of
accreditation of several courses by the university following recent regulations
by the National Universities Commission.
Earlier,
Majority Leader, Mr. Martin Amaewhule, said the Assembly passed the bills
because of their commitment to the
development programmes of the state government.
In his
remarks, Speaker Ikunyi Ibani said the Assembly would always put up its best in
the interest of the state.
He commended
the governor for his outstanding achievements, which he said had been
complemented by the Assembly.
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