Delta Assembly approves Okowa’s  N20bn credit facility

The Delta  House of Assembly on Tuesday approved a request of N20 billion credit facility from Fidelity Bank PLC, sent to it by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa.

The governor’s request was contained in a letter read during plenary of the Assembly in Asaba by the Speaker of the House , Chief Sheriff Oborevwori.According to the governor’s letter, the  credit facility is to finance the State Government’s Investment of five per cent equity in UTM offshore Limited Floating Liquiefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Project.

The project is under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) real sector support Fund/differentiated cash reserve requirement window.Consequently, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Chief Ferguson Onwo, moved a motion for the approval of the request.

The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the Assembly when put to a voice vote by the speaker, was seconded by the member representing Warri South West constituency, Mr Dennis Guwor.Similarly, the House, also at Tuesday’s Plenary, received a letter on a Bill for a Law to repeal the Delta State Passengers Welfare Scheme Law, 2002.The Bill was forwarded to the lawmakers by Okowa through a letter which was read at Tuesday’s Plenary by the Speaker.Motion for the approval of the Bill was read by the Majority Leader, just as it was also unanimously adopted by the House following a voice vote called by the Speaker.In the letter, the governor stated that the essence of the law enacted in 2002 was to create an insurance Trust Fund to indemnify passengers against road accidents.“By this, a prescribed fee was introduced and built into the transport fares of all passengers and afterwards, remitted to an appointed consultant.”

There is no doubt that in all, the intent and purposes, the passenger Welfare law 2002 was enacted for the good of the people.“However, the implementation of the scheme revealed that rather than protect them, it has created more hardship than benefits.“As a government that is committed to the welfare of its citizens vis-a-vis the advice of the Ministry of Justice, it has become imperative to abrogate the Passenger Welfare Law, 2002,” the governor said.(NAN)