Abia house empowers Bakassi boys to carry ammunition

AS Abia State House of Assembly rounds off its 4-year session, it has passed a bill which empowers the state vigilante service, popularly known as Bakassi Boys, to carry  low calibre weapons.
The House has also passed into law the 2011 budget appropriation of the state and increased it to N85.9 billion from N80.2 billion proposed by the state executive council.


Also, the House passed a bill creating Abia State House of Assembly Commission, ASHAC, which grants the Assembly autonomy, including financial, and power to regulate its activities.
According to the Deputy Speaker of the House, Chief Alwell Okere, the amended Abia State Vigilante Law now empowers members of the vigilante to carry low calibre arms which would be regulated by the Police.
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Asiforo, said the House decided to increase the 2011 budget in order to accommodate more development projects which will benefit the people.
A breakdown of the 2011 budget, as approved by the House, showed that N45.5 billion was for recurrent expenditure, while N40.4 billion was allocated to capital expenditure.
Speaking to journalists in his monthly briefing on the activities of the House, Asiforo also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conducting an election which, he said, was commended by both local and international observers.