The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has officially readmitted the Cross River State House of Assembly to its membership after the legislative body settled a significant portion of its outstanding dues.
Speaker of the Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, made this announcement during a special plenary session held on Friday to commemorate the second anniversary of the 10th Assembly. The Cross River Assembly had previously been delisted from the association due to prolonged failure to meet its financial obligations.
"Some years ago, our branch was delisted from the membership of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association due to our indebtedness of dues to the association," Ayambem stated. "I am happy to announce to you that our membership has just been reinstated to enable us to partake in all their conferences."
The Speaker assured that plans are underway to completely clear the remaining debt. "We are still looking for a way to totally defray our debts. This will enable us to deepen our legislative knowledge, as we share experience with other members of Commonwealth countries," he added.
Legislative Achievements and Future Focus
During the session, Ayambem highlighted the Assembly's accomplishments over the past two years, noting that they have successfully passed 30 bills, most of which have received Governor Otu's assent. Additionally, nine more bills are currently at various stages of reading in the legislative process.
Looking ahead, the Speaker emphasized that the Assembly will focus on more effective legislation, oversight, and monitoring to ensure they meet their obligations to other bodies. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that all ministries, departments, and agencies comply with budgetary provisions in line with the "People First" mantra of Governor Otu's administration.
The readmission to the CPA is expected to provide Cross River legislators with valuable opportunities to participate in educational conferences and exchange knowledge with parliamentary colleagues from across the Commonwealth nations.
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association is an international organization that connects, develops, promotes, and supports parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth.
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