By Amaechi Okwara Asaba
Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has signed fi ve bills into law. Th e Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborovweri, accompanied by principal offi cers of the legislature, presented the bills to the governor in Asaba. Th e bills were signed in the presence of top government functionaries. Bills which were signed into law are Delta State Investment Development Agency Bill 2016, Delta State Agency for the Control of HIV/Aids Bill 2016, Delta State College of Education, Mosogar Bill 2016, Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Amendment Bill 2016) and the Delta State Hotel Occupancy, Restaurant and Department Stores Consumption Tax Bill 2017. According to the governor, “we will collaborate with the Delta State House of Assembly to ensure that laws are passed to
impact positively on the lives of our people.” “I must truly appreciate Mr. Speaker and members of the House for being able to complete the process of passing the bills into law; there is no doubt that the Delta State Investment Development Agency Bill is something that will help to improve on the investment climate of the state and we need the growth of industries; this bill has helped to create an agency that will directly partner with would-be investors and to a very large extent will shorten the time required to process documents and have partnership that yield results between our state and investors.
” Okowa noted that, “with the bill on the Delta State Agency on the Control of HIV/AIDS – we have that agency already in place but, they can only become operational with the signing into law of this bill.” “Th e College of Education Bill, Mosogar, was created on the fact that it was just a College of Physical Education, but, after the visit at their last convocation, at the request of the College and that of the community, we believe that it would be better if the College became a fully-fl edged College of Education but, with specifi c attention to physical education and I am glad it has been passed into law which will enable the College admit students in the next academic session.”
“Th e Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority amendment bill was to give strength to the operations of the agricultural extensions services because, if we are going to do well in the agricultural sector there is a need to strengthen the agricultural services in such a manner that our farmers are exposed to modern agricultural techniques which will improve on their farm skills and also, enable them have access to new techniques from our research teams,” he said, stating that “the Delta State Hotel Occupancy, Restaurant, Departmental Store Consumption Tax Bill is a bill that will help to generate revenue for the state and inpartnership with various owners of restaurants, hotels, it is my belief that we will be able to generate revenue that will help improve on our economy, which will in turn impact positively on our people.”
