Benin – Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has sent a Bill for law to prohibit forceful entry and illegal occupation of landed properties by Community Development Associations to the House of Assembly.
Speaker of the assembly, Mr Justin Okonobor, announced the receipt of the Bill at plenary on Tuesday in Benin.
He said that the Bill was accompanied by a letter signed by the governor, adding that the bill came in thirty copies.
The speaker referred the bill to the Committee on Rules and Business for processing for debate on a later date.
Earlier, the house had stepped down the reading of the letter because it was signed by the governor’s Principal Secretary.
The member representing Akoko-Edo constituency, Mr Adjoto Kabiru (APC), had observed that the letter from the governor was not signed by him or the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
Kabiru had said that a letter from the governor to the house could not be signed by a principal secretary.
“Any correspondence from the governor must be duly signed by him or the secretary to the state government; that has been the practice,” he said.
In his contribution, Mr Chris Okaeben (Oredo West – APC) said that the house should adjourn and the letter returned for correction before it would be accepted.
Consequently, he moved a motion that the house should adjourn for one hour to enable it send the letter back to the governor for his signature.
“I want to move that we step down this letter and adjourn sitting for one hour to enable the governor do the needful.”
The motion was seconded by the Majority Leader, Foly Ogedengbe, and the letter was returned to the governor for his signature.
