Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Thursday in Port Harcourt assented to five bills.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bills were: Rivers State Education (Return of Schools) Amendment Law of 2017 and Rivers State Honours Law of 2017.
Others were: Rivers State Reserve Fund (Repeal) law of 2017, Rivers State University Law of 2017 and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Law of 2017.
Wike commended the legislature for its commitment toward the rapid development of the state after assenting to the bills.
The governor noted that the Return of School law was important because it allowed the State Government to intervene in mission schools already returned to their owners.
He stressed that the law would help in sustaining the quality of education in mission schools returned by the government to their previous owners.
Wike noted that the State Reserve Fund (Repeal) Law is important as the previous law was no longer relevant due to the “financial recklessness” of the immediate past administration.
The governor stated that the past administration refused to obey the law as it carelessly withdrew funds from the savings meant for the future.
“Between February 12, 2014 and May 27, 2015, the immediate past administration in the state withdrew N53billion from the funds without passing through due process.
“The State is today suffering from the financial recklessness of that administration as it squandered state resources through illegal withdrawals,” he added.
The governor stressed that the State University Law of 2017 was created to avert the loss of accreditation of several courses by the University due to directives by the National Universities Commission.
Also, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Ikuinyi Ibani, said that the lawmakers would always place the interest of the state above any other interest in discharging their legislative responsibilities.
The Speaker lauded the governor for his developmental strides and good governance in the State. (NAN)
JA/OSA/AFA