By Ngwuta Chinedu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a bill for a law, to repeal the State Roads Maintenance Agency and related matters law 2010, and re-enact Ebonyi State Maintenance Agency and related matters law 2025. The event which took place at the Legislative complex, Nkaliki road Abakaliki, during the plenary of Tuesday, was presided by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa.
Moses Odunwa emphasized that in repealing Ebonyi State Roads Maintenance Agency (EBROMA) Law, 2010 to Ebonyi State Maintenance Agency (EBMA) Law, 2025, it will now oversee the maintenance of all government infrastructures, cutting across different ministries, departments, And agencies in the State, with the head as Director General and three Directors from North, South and Central zones of the State.
Speaking in support of the bill, the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, said that the bill when repealed, will contribute significantly in maintaining the infrastructures of the state, as Ebonyi State Road Maintenance Agency was only limited to roads, and needed to be expanded to oversee other infrastructures of the government, adding that maintenance of infrastructures needed to be given a proper attention, and implored his colleagues to give the bill an express passage.
“This bill is apt and very self explanatory. The first bill, which was Law No. 001 of 2010, was expressly for the maintenance of roads. We are repealing it to include maintenance of all infrastructures, maintenance of the environment, maintenance of housing, and all general maintenance. It is not only roads that need to be maintained. If you look at most of the infrastructures, the problem is not about developing, the major problem lies in the maintenance of the already developed or built structures. Maintenance is something that needs to be given a very good attention.”
The Member representing Ebonyi North West State Constituency, Hon. Aloysius Nwodo, said that Ebonyi State Road Maintenance Agency served the State very well, but maintained that maintenance should be holistic in all the ministries, departments and agencies, in ensuring optimal maintenance of government infrastructures in the State, and described repealing of the Law as apt and correct.
“Ebonyi State roads maintenance agency as it was called served Ebonyi State very well, but change is very constant, in the Sense that Maintenance as stated in the law is to holistically maintain the infrastructure in Ebonyi State, and bearing this in mind, if it is limited to maintenance of roads only, it means that the essence of law is partly defeated, because the sole essence of the law is maintenance, and maintenance should be absolute. In maintaining infrastructures in Ebonyi State to include maintenance of building, maintenance of roads, maintenance of water projects, maintenance of sports centers, maintenance of event centers, and other projects in the state, and these being through, it means this law means to be widen its scope, and in so doing, the application or motion for repealing of the law to incorporate all these factors is very apt and correct.”
Contributing, the Member representing Afikpo East State Constituency, Oluchukwu Ezeali said, that by re-enacting the law to cover the maintenance of government facilities, it will help to secure all the infrastructures and facilities of government, and ensure that they are always up to date.
The Plenary was dissolved to the committee of a whole, to enable the House Members to dot their i’s and cross their t’s through a motion that was moved by the Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, and seconded by the Member representing Abakaliki North State Constituency, Victor Nwoke. Thereafter, the House reconvened to plenary, to enable the Chairman take his position as the Speaker and report progress, through a motion that was moved by the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, and seconded by the Member representing Ohaukwu North State Constituency, Mrs Esther Chidiebere Agwu.
Reporting progress, the Speaker of the House, Moses Odunwa Said, that the Law will be cited as HAB NO. 001 of 2025.
“Law No 001 of 2010 is hereby repealed to law no OO1 of 2025, and to read Ebonyi State Maintenance Agency and other related matters Law 2025.”
He directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs Edene Uche Blessing, to write a memo, informing the State Governor,Francis Nwifuru the passage of the bill.