Wike signs repealed High Court Bill into law; harps on team spirit

Global Patriot Staff June 20, 2015 Local, News Leave a comment 710 Views

Gov. Nyeso Wike in a handshake with King G. N. Giniwa, Chairman Rivers State Traditional ruler Council, during a meeting with the council at Banquet Hall, Govt. House, Port Harcourt.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, underscored the importance of team work among the various arms of government as he signed the State High Court Bill number 3 into law.

Speaking shortly after signing the bill into law, Friday, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said the State House of Assembly has made history by being the first state lawmaking body since May29 to pass a bill into law in the country.

The governor said the feat indicate that the Assembly means business and is ready to move the state forward.

Thanking them for repealing the law passed in controversial circumstances by the former administration, he lamented thus: “it is a taboo that a Registrar who is a magistrate will assign cases to judges.”

He described the law as “obnoxious” as it was in contention with the norm in the judiciary and thanked the Assembly for coming to the rescue of the state.

Wike, however, assured the legislators that the executive arm will not let them down and sued for cooperation amongst the three arms of government.

“There is no need for any arm of government to work independently but cooperatively,” the governor maintained.

In his remarks, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Owaji Ibani Ikuinyi, said the repealed law was part of the promise made by the House on its inauguration on June 2nd to reverse any infraction made by the past law makers against the people of the state.

Ikuinyi stressed that: “as representatives of the people, we must distinguish between bad law and a good law.”

He castigated the past lawmakers for not putting Rivers people ahead of their selfish interest, assuring that the 8th Assembly was ready to give the state a new lease of life.

Leader of the House, Hon Martins Amaewhule who presented the bill for the governor’s endorsement, condemned the former State High Law number 2 of 2014, saying, “that law was bad law as it went against the constitutional provisions”.

It was against this backdrop he said the legislators repealed it in line with the ethics and working of the judiciary and thanked the governor for his support.