By Onome Oghenetega
The Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has called for collaboration among States of the Niger Delta region to address economic and social challenges confronting the region.
Oborevwori particularly urged for legislative collaboration between Delta and Rivers States Assemblies so as to proffer solutions to the myriads environmental, social, economic, health and physical challenges confronting the two states.
The Delta Assembly Speaker spoke on Monday in a goodwill message he delivered at the opening of a two-day orientation workshop organised lawmakers-elect for Delta and Rivers States.
The workshop was put together by Konrad Adenauer Siftung, an international body seeking for the advancement legislative business for African countries.
Oborevwori, while thanking the organizer of the orientation workshop for extending invitation to Delta lawmakers-elect of the Seventh Assembly, noted that the event would also help the two states assemblies to cross-check and seek area of collaboration.
He said that Rivers and Delta State have so many features in common, saying that both states are situated in the Niger Delta Region and having similar terrain and topography .
“They are both oil producing states and therefore, face similar environmental challenges. Both states also have in common people speaking identical dialects. Last but not the least, Rivers and Delta State share the same political ideology as their Governments belong to the same political party, the PDP.
“I took pains to draw this analogy to drive home the point that Rivers and Delta States and indeed other states in the South South region in Nigeria need to collaborate at the regional level to bring development to our people.
“The fulcrum of this unity to bring economic emancipation of our people is no other institution but the Legislatures of these states. We therefore need to work together to formulate policies and programmes, and work out a regional development road map for the South South region.
” I believe that this meeting is divine and I hope that we will continue to engage as sister Legislatures to proffer solutions to the numerous environmental, social, economic, health and physical challenges confronting our states. If it were possible, I would have ruled that we held intermittent joint sittings for both Houses of Assembly.”
The Speaker requested Konrad Adenauer Siftung to consider Delta State House of Assembly as one of its catchment Assemblies in Nigeria for capacity building, adding that, “Our members and staff are ambitious for knowledge and are open and always ready to learn new skills in Legislative practice and procedures.”
“They are both oil producing states and therefore, face similar environmental challenges. Both states also have in common people speaking identical dialects. Last but not the least, Rivers and Delta State share the same political ideology as their Governments belong to the same political party, the PDP “, he said.
