ASABA/Nigeria: The State House of Assembly has amended the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) law of 2015 giving powers to the Governor to extend the tenure of the Board for not more than one year.
The amendments were sequel to a motion moved by the Deputy Majority Leader and member representing Bomadi constituency, Hon. Oboro Preyor for the notice of presentation and first reading of the DESOPADEC amendment bill and was seconded by Hon. Daniel Mayuku and adopted.
Hon. Preyor said the the sections to be amended include Section Five by deleting the word “Communities” and replacing it with “Areas”.
While in Section seven sub section two, a new section was added which reads that the Governor may through a request to the House of Assembly, extend the tenure of the Board for a period of not more than one year only.
Honourable Preyor thereafter moved for the House to suspend Order 12 rule, 75,76,77,78,79 and 80 in order for the House to take the third reading and pass the bill and was seconded by Hon. Orezi Esievo.
The Speaker, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori who presided over plenary on Thursday. thanked members of the House for the timely attention given to the DESOPADEC amendment bill which was sorted by the executive.
It could be recalled that the present DESOPADEC Law was one of the first Bills Governor Okowa sent to the state assembly on assuming office on the 29 of May, 2015, with changes on the management of the commission.
The original bill allows for a three years one term tenure of board members, but with the new bill, the governor had been given the power to find reason to extend the tenure of appointed members.
It could however be noted that the before the amendment of the bill, there was rumour among the staff of the commission and deltans that the tenure of the present board had been extended with three months.
Many followers of happenings in the commission attributed the move to be a desperate attempt for the governor to shore up money for his 2019 election.
