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Barrister Omes Ogedegbe.

By Iteveh Ekpokpobe

Delta State House of Assembly has been chided for disregarding public sentiments and denying Deltans opportunity to make inputs in a public hearing to debate on the Bill to Establish the Delta Revenue Service and Board before passage.

Renown rights activist and Director General, Conference for the Actualisation of Human Rights, Barrister Omes Ogedegbe, in a statement issued in Warri, said they were shocked by the fact that the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ochor Ochor who received them during their protest to the State Assembly Complex could not live up to his word of ensuring due process.

Ogedegbe said: “On the 12th of May, 2020, I was made to lead a protest to the Assembly Complex, by aggrieved Deltans demanding a Public Hearing of the bill.”

They said the passage of the bill was a total betrayal of the trust by the Deputy Speaker and by extension the State Assembly, and have shown that the Assembly was the “cacophony” of the State Governor.

“We were received by the honourable Deputy Speaker of the House who gave us his words that the House must consider the wish of Deltans for a public hearing to be held. Sadly, he has betrayed that trust and shown to us that the Assembly is the cacophony of the governor,” Ogedegbe said.

The group also stated that the State Government should be more concerned with ameliorating the effect of COVID-19 on the livelihood of Deltans than imposing tax laws on Deltans.

“The people need palliatives not tax. They have eaten up their business money as several businesses have closed up. We must come together to oppose this law it must not stand as it’s a violation of the constitution and a rape on our democracy.” The statement partly read.