Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Tuesday in Asaba signed the Delta State Agency for the Control of HIV/Aids Bill 2016 and four other bills into law.
The other bills include Delta State Investment Development Agency Bill 2016, Delta State College of Education, Mosogar Bill 2016.
Others are Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Amendment Bill 2016) and the Delta State Hotel Occupancy, Restaurant and Department Stores Consumption Tax Bill 2017.
The bills were presented to the governor for his assent by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborovweri.
The Speaker was accompanied by principal officers of the legislature in the presence of top government functionaries and the media.
Okowa said his administration would collaborate with the House of Assembly to ensure that laws were passed to impact positively on the lives of the people in the state.
“I must truly appreciate Mr Speaker and members of the House for being able to complete the process of passing the bills into law.
“There is no doubt that the Delta State Investment Development Agency Bill is something that will help to improve on the investment climate of the state and we need the growth of industries.
“This bill has helped to create an agency that will directly partner with would-be investors and to a very large extent will shorten the time required to process document and have partnership that yield results between our state and investors,’’ he said.
The governor added that “with the bill on the Delta State Agency on the Control of HIV/AIDS, we have that agency already in place but, they can only become operational with the signing into law of this bill.
“The College of Education Bill, Mosogar, was created on the fact that it was just a College of Physical Education, but, after the visit at their last convocation, at the request of the College and that of the community.
“We believe that it would be better if the college became a fully-fledged College of Education but, with specific attention to physical education.
“I am glad it has been passed into law which will enable the college admit students in the next academic session.’’
Okowa said that the Delta State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority amendment bill would strengthen the operations of the agricultural extensions services.
He said that if the state must do well in the agricultural sector, there was a need to strengthen the agricultural services in such a manner that the farmers were exposed to modern farming techniques which will improve on their farm skills.
The governor said that farmers would have access to new techniques from the state research teams.
“The Delta State Hotel Occupancy, Restaurant, Departmental Store Consumption Tax Bill is a bill that will help to generate revenue for the state and in partnership with various owners of restaurants, hotels.
“It is my belief that we will be able to generate revenue that will help improve on our economy, which will in turn impact positively on our people,’’ Okowa said.
He thanked the legislatures for job well done, saying that “it is aptly, the most vibrant legislature in the country and I have lost counts on the number of bills that have been signed into law.
“I am confident that more bills will be signed into law in the next few months.’’
Earlier, Oborovwori while presenting the bills for the governor’s assent said that the bills passed through all the processes required for them to be passed.
He assured that the legislature would continue to partner with the state government to provide dividends of democracy to the people. (NAN)
IO/FF/MTM
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