Asaba, July 23, 2025 — The Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to amend the 2024 Appropriation Law, following a request by the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori. The goal of the amendment is to adjust the budget to meet critical needs in the state.
Here’s what happened — explained clearly for young readers:
What Is the 2024 Appropriation Law?
The Appropriation Law is the law that outlines how the state government plans to spend its money for the year. It includes money for things like:
- Paying salaries (called recurrent expenditure)
- Building roads, schools, hospitals, etc. (called capital expenditure)
Why Was It Amended?
During a plenary session (official meeting) of the House, a letter from Governor Oborevwori was read aloud by Speaker Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor. In the letter, the Governor said some parts of the budget needed to be adjusted to better reflect the state’s urgent needs.
The New Budget Figures:
- Recurrent Expenditure: ₦379.375 billion
- Capital Expenditure: ₦345.604 billion
- Total Budget Size: ₦724.979 billion
The change shows that more money will now be spent on running the government, such as salaries and operations, while capital projects have been slightly reduced.
What Lawmakers Said:
Several lawmakers supported the change.
- Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, Leader of the House, and
- Hon. Charles Emetulu, member representing Ndokwa West,
both agreed that the amendment was necessary and praised the Governor for following the rules by coming to the House for approval.
Speaker Guwor also thanked his colleagues for acting fast and responsibly to pass the amendment.
Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism Law Also Amended
Another important issue discussed was the Delta State Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Cultism Law.
The House began the process of amending this law because the current version does not clearly define what “cultism” means, making it hard for the courts to convict people involved in such crimes.
Governor Oborevwori, in a letter, referenced a court judgment from 2022 by Justice Marshall Umukoro which pointed out this problem. The new amendment will make it easier to punish cult-related and terrorism-related crimes, especially the use of explosives or bombs.
New Law to Protect Landlords and Tenants
The House also took the first step to repeal the old Rent Control Law of 1977 and replace it with a new Delta State Landlord and Tenant Law, 2025.
The bill is sponsored by Hon. Emeka Nwaobi and aims to solve long-standing rent issues in the state — such as unfair eviction, unclear rent agreements, and landlord-tenant disputes.
Auditor-General Reports Reviewed
Finally, the House reviewed two important financial reports:
- The 2024 accounts of the Delta State Government, and
- The 2024 accounts of DESOPADEC (Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission)
The reports were presented by Hon. James Augoye, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. The House adopted the recommendations made after reviewing the state’s financial records.
