The Delta State Anti-terrorism and Anti-cultism Amendment Bill scaled first reading on the floor of the Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the amendment bill follows a judgment of the Delta State High Court delivered by Justice Marshall Umukoro on November 7 2022.
In a letter addressed to the State House of Assembly for amendment of the bill, the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori noted that the interpretative section of the law did not define what cultism means, hence the need for such amendments.
Governor Oborevwori stressed that the law will prohibit terrorism, cultism and the use of bombs, stating that the essence of the proposed amendment bill aims at providing a clearer understanding of the offence of cultism as envisaged by the existing law and for the ease of prosecuting offences in court.
Similarly, a bill for a law to repeal the Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Law of 1977 and establish the Delta State Landlord and Tenant Law, 2025 passed first reading.
Lead Sponsor of the bill and Leader of the House, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, in a motion, earlier sought the leave of the House to bring in the bill, which seeks to address the long-awaited issue of rentage in Delta State.
Also, the Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill for a law to amend the 2024 appropriation law of the State.
The amendment bill was sequel to a letter by the Governor Oborevwori, which was read during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor.
The Governor, in his letter, said the amendment to the 2024 appropriation law became necessary in order to address critical areas of need in the budget.
He stated that the recurrent expenditure would be N379,375,354,596.00, and the amended capital expenditure would be N345,603,959,271.00, while the total budget size of N724,979,313,867.00 for the services of the year ending 31 December 2024.
The bill scaled first, second and third reading and passed by the House as the lawmakers including the Leader of the house, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi and the member representing Ndokwa west constituency, Hon Charles Emetulu spoke in favour of the amendment sought, saying it was a realignment of the appropriation law to reflect an increase in the recurrent expenditure and a reduction in the capital expenditure.
They commended Governor Oborevwori for upholding the constitution by seeking to amend the 2024 appropriation Law.
The Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, commended the lawmakers for their due diligence in granting a speedy passage to the amendment of the 2024 appropriation Law.
Still at plenary, the House considered and adopted the recommendations by the committee on Public Accounts on the reports of the Auditor General (State) on the accounts of the Delta State Government for the year ended, December 31 2024 as well as the report of the Auditor-General (State) on the account of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC for the year ended December 31 2024 following a report by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. James Augoye.
