In a bold and audacious move, the Rivers Assembly, during its 127th sitting, successfully passed a bill to amend the Rivers State Public Procurement (Amendment) Law No.1 of 2021, along with other related matters.
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The House, as stated in a press release signed by the Special Adviser to the Speaker, Martin Wachukwu, diligently debated and scrutinized the bill before its passage.
Lemchi Nyeche, the bill’s sponsor and representative of the Ikwerre Constituency, argued that the amendment aimed to remove Section 3 of the 2021 amendment Law.
This removal would ensure that suppliers or contractors receive a mobilization fee of no more than 20 percent of the contract sum, which must be supported by a contract performance bond.
Other members of the Assembly expressed their support for the bill, commending its potential to curb the reckless and arbitrary payment of mobilization fees in government contracts.
They believed that a 20 percent mobilization fee was sufficient for any serious government contractor to initiate work on-site.
Speaker Martin Chike Amaewhule emphasized the significance of passing the bill, stating that it would promote transparency and accountability in the payment of mobilization fees within the state.
Amaewhule criticized the absurdity of allowing one individual to receive up to 100 percent of the contract sum as mobilization.
Additionally, Amaewhule condemned the Governor’s refusal to appoint a Chairman and members to the Board of the Bureau for Public Procurement.
He argued that the appointment of an Acting Director-General of the Bureau was not in accordance with the law that established the Bureau, asserting that such an appointment would not be valid.
The Assembly then proceeded to the Committee of the Whole, where they meticulously examined the bill clause by clause.Afterward, they returned to Plenary and successfully passed the bill.
Speaker Amaewhule expressed his gratitude to the members of the House for their unwavering commitment to the peace and development of the State, despite facing various challenges.
