Victor Adaha|6 April 2016|6:18am
The Eighth Cross River State House of Assembly (8th CRSHA), which started just about a year ago, after the members were duly sworn has a retinue of principal offices filled by Honourable Members of choice within the Assembly. The House is saddled with the traditional statutory responsibilities of makings laws, represent the interest of their constituencies, carrying out oversight functions on the Executive and other salient but equally important task as well. This same House which is the legislative arm of the government, has honourable members, who are chosen from different fields of endeavours, tested and trusted by their constituencies, from which they were sent to represent them in the house for the next four years.
*Constitution
The Cross River State House of Assembly has 25 legislators including:
1. Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo – Abi
2. Hon. Matthew Olory – Akamkpa I
3. Hon. Charles Ekpe – Akamkpa II
4. Hon. Elizabeth Ironbar – Akpabuyo
5. Hon. Dr. Ekpo Ekpo – Bakassi
6. Rt. Hon. Idagu Ajor Agaji – Bekwarra
7. Hon. Ogbor Ogbor Udop – Biase
8. Hon. Dr. Mrs. Itam Abang – Boki I
9. Hon. Hillary Bisong – Boki II
10. Hon. Effa Esua – Calabar Municipality
11. Rt. Hon. Okon Ephraim – Cal. South I
12. Rt. Hon. Joseph Bassey -Cal. South II
13. Hon. Achor Achor – Etung
14. Hon. Fred Osim – Ikom I
15. Rt. Hon. Simon E. Nkoro – Ikom II
16. Rt. Hon. Ucheche Moses Ushie – Obanliku
17. Hon. Friday Okpechi – Obubra I
18. Hon. Elocate Okor – Obubra II
19. Rt. Hon. Stephen Ukpokpen – Obudu
20. Hon. Bassey Akiba – Odukpani
21. Hon. Peter Odey – Ogoja
22. Rev. Hon. Nelson E. Ofem – Yakurr I
23. Rt. Hon. Eteng Jones Williams – Yakurr II
24. Hon. Mrs. Regina Anyogo – Yala I
25. Rt. Hon. Barr. Ogana Lukpata – Yala II
It has a Speaker in the person of John Gaul Lebo.
*CRSHA's Relationship with the Executive
This House just like every other house had faced its own bit of hitches, and may still face more but one thing worthy of mention among the list of enormous salient facts is that, the leadership of the Assembly comprises young vibrant intelligent men/women who are professionals in their different fields and have made impacts, they are role models, entrepreneurs, professionals, pragmatic leaders among others. Never has a state assembly ever been constituted by such young intelligent minds that stretches even to its committees.
For effective governance at any level of government, the three arms of government must see themselves as key players and partners instead of rivals, I must note that I have watched this assembly keenly from a very close range and found out that both the legislative and executive arms of government in the CRS are in rational harmony, they are in a complementary and healthy relationship, where fault hunting is not keenly the order of the day but complementation.
The leadership of Cross River State House of Assembly, has it in good records, as one of the few Houses in the country that set the pace for other legislative houses to follow, in prioritizing and ensuring a scrutinized, and prompt passage of the state budget for proper and smooth running of governance, which resulted to prompt payment of salaries, which has made the state a model for other states to emulate.
The timely nature of the House, has given the governor the opportunity to concentrate on other things, as evident in his quest for foreign partnership and investors, to boost the state economy which is very meagre due to the allocation from the central government, as before now, that use to be the only tangible source of revenue for the state.
The un-fazed nature of this current assembly has translated into the un-impeded growth the government is been known for, with her numerous people oriented projects like the Garment Factory , the rice factory and the super high way but to mention a few. All these are made possible because of the un-dying mutual corporation the legislative and executive arms operate on.
*Agenda, Policy & Achievements
This present House of Assembly has shown in recent time that the house is citizen-oriented, as the Speaker keeps reiterating at every given opportunity be it press briefing or official speech made. The House has carefully listed out its plans and agenda for this ”8th house”, by this the house has set its own marking scheme with which the citizen would score them with and leading the list are:
*The Cross River State House of Assembly Legislative Direction 2015-2019
*The Cross River State Citizens Agenda Legislative policy
*Solution Architecture Model in every legislation passed
*Monthly Press Briefing
The House under this current leadership has passed a total of 14 bills, which were carefully scrutinized to meet the needs of the citizens and to ensure it solves current needs and addresses real problems. It has also raised 15 valid motions as well, for more information you can visit the CRSHA.
With all these I am forced to ask, can the body function properly without the legs or eyes? A big NO, I heard you say. That’s just the same way governance cannot be smooth and effective if the legislature is a rubber stamp. A rubber stamp house would result to a failed government. But because we have a House which is poised at ensuring the dividend of democracy and believes that democracy is centred at the masses, and a house that is not a rubber stamp, that is the reason we are experiencing progressive governance and have hopeful optimism of the state becoming a merger city full of opportunities and potentials. Am proud to be a Cross Riverian at this point a time.
In subsequent write ups, I will be exploring the perceived criticism against the CRSHA and the details of the laws enacted and motions raised.
Victor Adaha
Writes from Lagos
Nice one
Nice one