Winners of the Delta State House of Assembly rerun election for Burutu 1 and Ethiope West Constituencies, Ebitomo Anthony Alapala and Blessing Achoja, Wednesday, subscribed to relevant oaths of office as members of the State’s 8th Assembly before the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
Both lawmakers whose elections were upturned by the Appeal Court towards the end of last year, got their victories back during the February 3rd rerun election conducted by the National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, under the platform of All Progressive Congress, APC.
The development beefed up the number of APC lawmakers in the State Assembly to 7 with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) maintaining the majority position with 22 members.
As stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Rules of the House in such engagement, the two reelected representatives subscribed to the oaths of allegiance and that of the membership of the House as proscribed on them by the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor.
Shortly after administering the oaths on the new members, Guwor congratulated them on their victories at the recently concluded bye-election, noting that they must have worked very hard to ensure their return to the Hallowed Chamber.
Guwor assured that the 8th Assembly under his watch would continue to ensure robust legislation that would further enhance the well-being of Deltans.
Also at the plenary, the Speaker presented a correspondence to the House from the State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oberevwori, on a bill to amend the Delta State Polytechnic Burutu Law to the Delta State Maritime Polytechnic Burutu Law 2024.
Oborevwori in the letter explained that the inability of the institution to access the Tertiary Education Trust Fund available to public Tertiary Institutions in the country necessitated the earlier amendment of the law to the status of a Polytechnic but without the inclusion of the word Maritime.
The governor disclosed that having considered the concerns raised by some stakeholders, there was need to include the word Maritime in the nomenclature, to make it Delta State Maritime Polytechnic, Burutu.
He appealed to the House to consider the bill and its early passage.
Meantime, a minute silence was observed at Wednesday’s resumed plenary by members on the passage of the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Professor Chike Edozien.
The development followed a request to that effect by the member representing Oshimili South, Hon Bridget Anyafulu who formerly informed the House on the transition of the Asagba as earlier announced by the traditional institution of Asaba.
The Speaker while paying glowing tribute to the monarch, said Obi Prof Edozien in his reign sustained peace in his domain and attracted development to the kingdom.
Guwor on behalf of the State legislature, again condoled with the people of Asaba, saying that the transited Asagba was an enigma, saying that his legacies as a monarch would remain evergreen.
The Speaker pointed out that naming the newly built multi-million ultra-modern State Secretariat after him by the Delta State Government was a testimony of the outstanding life of Obi Prof Chike Edozien who joined his ancestors few months before his centenary birthday celebration.
The Speaker prayed God to grant the Asaba Monarch eternal rest.
