Assembly Screens, Confirms Oko-Jaja, Seven Others For BoPP Board •Tasks Members On Rivers First Policy

Rivers State House of Assembly has screened and confirmed Opobo-born Barrister Lawrence Oko-Jaja, SAN, as Chairman of the Board of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RSBoPP).

Also screened and confirmed were Dr. Ernest Ibekwe Ekwe; Dr. Mina Ogbanga; Engr. Iseleye Amachree; Engr. Adokiye Oyagiri; Engr. Gift Alex-Hart; Mrs. Grace Osaronu; and Barrister Selinah Amonieah, who will serve as members.

The eight nominees had appeared for screening before the lawmakers shortly after the reading of the letter sent by the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, requesting the House to determine their suitability for appointment as members of the Board of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, read the letter by the Governor during plenary at the Hallowed Chamber of the House of Assembly, Auditorium of the Administrative Block, Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, on Friday.

The Speaker read the Governor's letter, thus: "Request for screening and confirmation of the members of the Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement: Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1, Sub-Section 4 of the Rivers State Public Procurement Law No. 4 of 2008. It is my pleasure to forward the underlisted nominees to the Rivers State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation as members of the Board of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement."

During the screening, the nominees fielded a particular question on how they will replicate their wealth of experience in moving the State forward in relation to Government policy implementation, with Barrister Oko-Jaja assuring that if confirmed, the board under their watch, will ensure value for money for goods and services contracted by the State Government.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, advised the nominees to always know that they will hold their trust and loyalty to the State Government, should they scale through and be confirmed, to seamlessly harmonise best practices with quality performance while enforcing probity and accountability in all procurements handled by the Bureau.

Shortly after the nominees were led out of the floor of the Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, the lawmakers, by voice vote, confirmed the nominees one after the other, as fitting for the appointment.

With the confirmation, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, directed the Clerk, Dr G. M. Gillis-West, to convey the resolution of the House to the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for possible swearing-in as members of the Board of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement.

The House, thereafter, adjourned the sitting to September 4, 2024.

Comments

Ogoni Day: Group Demands Saro-Wiwa, Eight Others' Exoneration, Compensation .Urges Probe Of Wike Over Alleged Diversion Of $300m OML 11 Payment

As the Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State marked the 31st Anniversary of the Ogoni Day, the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), has reiterated the call on the Federal Government to exonerate late environment-rights activist, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis murdered during the late General Sani Abacha military junta in 1995. The group also called for compensation to Ogoni and families of the four Ogoni chiefs whose death led to the arrest and subsequent execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight others. OLI said it came up with the referendum after consultation with critical stakeholders within and outside Ogoni land and over 200 rights groups. Chief Executive Officer of Ogoni Liberation Initiative, Dr Douglas Fabeke, while reading an 8-point referendum to mark this year's Ogoni Day also demanded the immediate dissolution of the board of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), over alleged gross mismanagement of funds and incompetence. OLI said Ogoni peopl

Nigeria Lost N16.25trn To Oil Theft, NEITI Alleges

The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Ogbonnaya Orji, has revealed that Nigeria lost over N16.25trillion due to oil theft in the country. Orji, who made the revelation to the House Committee on Public Accounts, during an interactive session in Abuja, also claimed that $74.386billion was spent on fuel subsidy by successive administrations since 2011. According to him, the agency has compiled the actual amount paid as subsidy on yearly basis. Orji claimed that the compilation was based on data collated and signed off by operators in the industry and other stakeholders. According to him, NEITI also uncovered over $8.3billion unremitted revenue by some privately owned oil firms and Federal Government-owned Agencies which was not paid into the Federation Account, in deviant to provisions in the extant financial regulations. He, however, noted that the agency is working with various enforcement Institutions including Economic and Financial

Our Decisions Not Borne Out Of Fear, But For Peace Of Rivers, Fubara Insists .Says He Won't Involve In Dirty Political Fights

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the decisions taken by his administration in the evolving political crisis in the state were not borne out of fear, but for peace to reign in the state. The governor made this known while addressing Rivers people at the maiden state banquet held by his administration at Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday to celebrate the New Year. The governor's position was revealed in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Rivers State, Boniface Onyedi, on Tuesday. Fubara, who wished Rivers people a fruitful and prosperous 2024, also appealed to Rivers people to embrace the ongoing peace process at the instance of President Bola Amhed Tinubu. He stated that his administration would not be enmeshed in any dirty political war that would hinder the prospects of development in the state. "Every decision that we've taken is not borne out of fear but because we have the interest of ou

Nelly's SmartBriefs

Search This Blog