APC Chieftain and former Nigerian Ambassador, Oji Ngofa has criticised the reversal of the Rivers State Public Procurement law by the Rivers State House of Assembly, stating that the actions of the lawmakers purportedly in public interest, fall short of such claims.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly had overridden the approval of the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to pass the State Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill, 2024 into law.
Speaking on Nigeria Info's Morning Crossfire, Ngofa questioned the lawmakers' motives in amending the State Public Procurement law to reduce the deposit sum for state government-awarded projects to contractors to thirty percent from seventy percent. This amendment contrasts with their previous action under former Governor Nyesom Wike's administration, in which they raised the percentage to seventy percent.
Mr Ngofa alleged that the lawmakers' action is aimed at diverting the attention of Governor Fubara, amidst ongoing political disagreements in the state. Accusing the Rivers Assembly of pursuing selfish interests aligned with a single individual, Ngofa's comments underscore the heightened tensions surrounding legislative decisions in the state.
This is the seventh time the state assembly has overridden the governor's assent to pass bills into law.
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