The passage of only five bills within a year by the eighth Abia State House of Assembly has elicited mixed reactions.
According to a report by Vanguard, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, announced during a press conference in Umuahia that the House had passed five out of 15 bills presented for consideration over the past year.
These bills included the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Bills, the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) Bill, the Governor and Deputy Governor Pension Review Bill, and the Medicine and Health Commodities Bill.
He assured that the remaining bills, which had passed either first or second readings, would be enacted soon.
Additionally, the House addressed 46 petitions, raised 55 motions, and passed 50 resolutions during this period.
Upon analyzing the enacted bills, it was noted that four of them, including the annual Appropriation Bills, were executive bills, while only one was a new legislative initiative.
Former Speaker Rt. Hon. Chikwendu Kanu criticized the current Assembly’s performance as subpar, rating it at 10%.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the passage of only five bills in a legislative year and urged the Assembly members to be more proactive.
Kanu also criticized the House for failing to swear in Hon. Aaron Uzodike, the member representing Aba North state constituency, despite a Court of Appeal ruling in his favor months earlier.
He viewed this failure as a significant shortcoming and called for the legislators to assert themselves more effectively.
Conversely, Rt. Hon. Emeka Stanley, a former Deputy Speaker and PDP chieftain, defended the Assembly’s performance, awarding it a positive evaluation.
Stanley argued that achieving such results within the first year was commendable for any legislative body, especially considering that many members were first-time legislators who needed time to acclimate to the legislative process.
He further emphasized that the progress made by the Assembly should be seen in a positive light.