Delta State Gets New DSIEC Law as Lawmakers Amend Local Government Law

By Miracle Enuji

The Delta State House of Assembly today enacted a new Law for the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), thus extinguishing the existing Law of 2012.

The new law which was sent to the House by the Executive, repealed the previous law of 2012 as requested by the state government and approved by the House.

Presenting the report of the joint committees on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Committee on Rules, Business and Judiciary of the proposed law, Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftancy Affairs, Hon. Azuka Azaka stated that the committees in its joint meetings observed that no significant amendment having direct implication on the content and structure of the proposed draft bill was generally necessary.

In his words; “The committees ensured that the provisions of the draft bill are not in conflict with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended.

In the light of the above and in view of the obvious fact that the bill did not suffer serious mutilation at the committee stage owing largely to its adaptations, we hereby urge this Honourable House to see it in the same perspective.”

Subsequently, Hon. Azaka presented the report of the joint committee on the amendment of the Delta State Local Government Law 2013.

He stated that the intendment of the bill under consideration is to merely delete from the Principal Law of 2013 Sections 96-138 and 140 and schedules 3-6 respectively.

Azaka added that the joint committee resolved to reproduce the bill structurally and more technically the way it should be when eventually passed into Law.

The Majority Leader, Hon. Tim Owhefere received the reports of the joint committee and sought for the suspension of rule 77, 78 and 79 of the House rules to enable the bills be read for the Third time and passed.

The request was swiftly granted when the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori put forth the Leader’s prayer to the members.

Clerk of the House, Barr. Lyna Ocholor thereafter announced the passage of the bills after its Third reading.

Speaker Oborevwori thanked the joint committees for their speedy attention to the bill saying  “I want to thank the chairmen and members of joint committee for doing justice to these bills. We know that these bills will impact on our people, now that they are gearing towards election. I know that with these bills passed today, Deltans will be very happy and Delta state will move forward.

It will be recalled that on August 31, 2017, the House sacked the DSEIC board citing noticeable defects and shortcomings in the electoral process as a result of the 2012 law establishing the commission.