The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has commended Civil Society Organizations for their role in ensuring good governance, peace, security, and sustainable development in the society.
Speaking during an interactive session with Heads of various CSOs across the country, under the aegis of Civil Society Advance Forum On Sustainable Development, Oborevwori assured that the State Legislature was ever ready to partner with relevant stakeholders in driving its legislative and oversight functions.
The Speaker enjoined the CSOs to rise up to the responsibility of furnishing the State Legislature with Bills that could advance good governance in the country.
“The noble contributions of your organizations to our people and the society in general is akin to what we are elected to do as legislators. Our primary duty as legislators is to make laws for the security and welfare of the people. Laws that will promote happiness for greater number of the people. I believe your Organizations are also set out to achieve the same objective. So, I invited you all today to an interactive session on how we can partner to promote the general good for our people and society”, he stated.
Oborevwori, who described Civil Society Organizations as agents of change and watchdogs of the society, explained that over the years, the organizations had initiated Bills that had been passed into law in the country.
He said CSOs should be in the forefront of holding government accountable for their actions, emphasizing that the Delta State House expects greater partnerships with the organizations in ensuring that more people oriented Bills are passed, as well as ensure that the benefits of such laws get to the most vulnerable in the society.
The Speaker stated that the House had passed a number of Bills that cut across different areas of interests of the organizations, including the Child Rights Law; Violence Against Persons Law; Administration of Criminal Justice Law; Freedom of Information Law; Female Circumcision and Genital Mutilation Prohibition Law.
The leader of the team, Ambassador Caroline Usikpedo-Oliseoule and others who spoke, commended the leadership of the State Assembly for the interactive session, which they said was the first of it kind in the country.
They called for more of the round table meetings to discuss friendly policies, as one of the key roles of the organizations was to create public awareness on Bills passed by the legislature.
The speakers assured of the readiness of the organizations to partner with the House for more positive changes in the society.
In a related development, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has stressed on the need for media practitioners in the state to adhere strictly to the ethics of their profession.
He gave the charge while receiving members of the Delta State Chapter of the Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria, ACNPN.
The Speaker underscored the importance of Community Newspapers in the state, stressing that they were needed for effective and enhanced development at the grassroots.
Oborevwori assured the body of robust partnership towards the overall development of the state, particularly in information gathering and dissemination at the rural areas of the state.
The Speaker urged the association to help publicize the activities of the State Assembly as well as the good works of the Okowa administration across communities in the state.
He emphasized that the House would not fail in its core responsibility of lawmaking, representation and oversight, noting that more people – oriented Bills would be passed by the House.
Oborevwori reminded the media practitioners of the up coming 2023 general elections and advised against being used as instruments of blackmail by politicians, insisting that they should always report correctly without bias.
The Chairman, ACNPN, Delta State Council, Comrade Jude Obiemenyego, commended the Speaker and his colleagues for what he described as robust Legislative activities in the state and for uplifting standards in the development of the state
Comrade Obiemenyego, said the primary responsibility of the association is to regulate the activities of community newspapers in the state as well as promote good governance, uphold professional ethics and ensure peaceful coexistence of the people through information dissemination amongst others.
He appealed for greater collaboration between the association and the State Assembly.
The events was attended by the Deputy Speaker, Ochor Christopher Ochor, Deputy Majority Leader, Oboro Preyor, Minority Leader, Innocent Anidi, Deputy Chief Whip, Solomon Ighrakpata and the Clerk of the House, Lyna Ocholor.
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