June 14, (THEWILL)- Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Hon. Aniefiok Denis Akpan, has said that out of the 52 Bills sponsored by the current Seventh Assembly, 19 have been passed although none has been accented to by the Executive within the last two years.
The Committee Chairman, who disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Uyo, said other Bills in the works were at various stages of legislation.
Akpan, who represents Etinan State Constituency said, “Talking about the Bills we have passed, 19 Bills and those other ones are at various levels of legislation and most of them are for public hearing.
“If we have those people-oriented Bills which are not assented to, the provisions of the law are there and we know what to do after 30 days. That’s why the committee is being set up. Let us not jettison everything and start afresh.
“In terms of those Bills we have passed into law, we are going to set up a committee to liaise with the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, to ensure that proper and appropriate things are done.”
Akpan said the Seventh assembly had also backed the implementation of autonomy for the Legislature and Judiciary.
He quoted relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended to buttress claims that the independence of the Legislature and Judiciary had been enshrined in the statute books.
Akpan said: “Constitutional issues are not arguable. Section 121(3) of the Constitution provides that when the money comes, you give it to the Legislature, give it to the Judiciary. It’s very simple and straightforward. The provisions of the law are there, the issue we are having has to do with the implementation.
“It is not a matter of saying we want it, or the Judiciary wants it. It is the provision of the law. It does not call for debate, except you want us to amend this provision of the Constitution and that is the only time you start debating about this autonomy.”
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