On Tuesday, August 29, 1991, Delta State, the Big Heart, was created from the former Bendel State during the era of the Military President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida. At its creation, the State had twelve Local Government Areas but metamorphosed into twenty-five Local Government Areas when the Late General Sanni Abacha was in power as the Military President of the Country. The State has till date maintained this local administrative structure and from which the Members of the Delta State Legislature are drawn.
The Delta State House of Assembly started life as a Legislative Unit with the Department of Political and Economic Matters in the Governor's Office when the State was newly created in 1991.
Sequel to a proclamation by the first civilian Governor Olorogon Felix Ovuodoroye Ibru, who was sworn-in on the 2nd day of January 1992 the First Session of the First Assembly of Delta State was inaugurated on 30th January 1992, at a temporary site located along Dennis Osadebay Way, Asaba. The pioneer Legislature had thirty-eight Members (twenty-five of them from the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and thirteen from the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC)) under the Leadership of Hon. Emmanuel Oghenero Okoro (Isoko North I Constituency) ;as Speaker and Hon. Emmanuel Igbru (Ughelli North II Constituency) as the Deputy Speaker.
Other Members of the First Legislature were: Hon. Adigwe J.A.; Agoda J. H. O.; Akabudike A.; Akpenyi S. C.; Aniagwuya A.O.; Apare C. A.; Ayamagbatse M..; Chinakwe P.O.; Dr. Ebireri P.G.; Egbowawa J.O. M.; Egun G.N; Eku M. A. (Barr.); Ejobe E.O; Fregenc P.A.A.; Chief Ifemeni A. M; Ifeta E.A; Ilolo C. A.(Mrs); Jighu J.K. W; Chief Mokpo G.D.; Dr. (Barr.) Nwachukwu K. O; Offor Linda ( Mrs); Ogbe F. O [who later withdrew and was replaced by Kperegbeye F.E]; Maj. F. T Ogu (Rtd), Ogwilaya M; Okolie P; (Barr.) Okolocha U.; Okoro S.E; Onwuka (J.C: Osemeje V; Orugbo E.O; Orusaibogha E.K; Ugono J. O; (Barr.) Urhode S.; Utomi Rosemary; Yerin E.; and Mr. Eluem P. (as the first Clerk of the House).
The First House received a total of twenty-three Bills out of which ten Bills were passed by the House and five assented to by the Governor. The House also passed a total of 224 resolutions to address a number of issues affecting the young State.
By November 18, 1993, the activities of the pioneer House were brought to an abrupt end following the Military intervention of late General Sanni Abacha's Government which scuttled the emerging democratic process still in its embryo. The demise of that Legislature not only truncated the system but reduced the House to a shadow of its fanner self as the core legislative officers recruited for the Assembly were deployed to the Civil Service and other Parastatals while others were sacked as the Members were ousted, leaving behind only one Senior Legislative officer and the then Clerk Designate, Sir Dan Okenyi, who became the Clerk of the House at last to oversee the House. The core staff were also recalled and redeployed to the House to commence the Second Legislature in 1999.
The Second Assembly commenced its legislative life in its present permanent complex with only one main building housing the Chamber built by the Federal Government. On June 3, 1999, sequel to a proclamation by His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, the. second House with twenty-nine Members was inaugurated. It had Hon. Francis Omasan Megbele (Late) representing Warri North as its Speaker and Hon. (Barr.) Akpor Pius Ewherido, representing Ughelli South Constituency, as Deputy Speaker. Other Members were:
Hon. Dr. (Chief) Olisa Imegwu; Hon. (Prince) J.F.K. Omatsone; Hon. (Barr.) Gibson Akporehe; Hon. Windford O. Edeyibo; Hon. Festus Agas; Hon. Chief A. Mekoma; Hon. Chief (Barr.) Krees Njiokwuemeni; Hon. L.M.A. Okperi; Hon. (Rarr.) Gordon Okpako; Hon. (Barr.)Misan Ukubeyinje (Replaced Late Hon. Megbele); Hon. (Prince) O. P. Erijo; Hem. (Engr.) Emmanuel Ighomena; Hon. (Barr.) (Olorogun) Akpodiogaga S. Emeyese; Hon. Dr. (Mrs.) F. O. Nwaeze; Hon. E. e. Nwaebo; Hem. Moro Reginald Oonbraye; Hon. J. O. Omatsola; Hon. (Evang.) G.e. Okpuno; Hon. Franc Enekorogha; Hon. (Barr.) E. O. Odebala; Hon. Funkekeme Solomon; Hon. (Evang.) Ossai N.Ossai; J Ion. ((Olorogun) George E. Oyefia; Hon. (Rev.) PaulO. Akegwure; Hon. (Sqd. Ldr.) Paul Okpue; Bon. Efe Afe; Hon. Basil Ganagana.
Out of these Members. twenty-four belonged to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) while the other five were from the All Peoples Party (APP).
From June 3. 1999, to .June 2, 2003, the second Assembly witnessed five changes in the leadership of the House, to wit:
Leadership of the Second Assembly: 1999-2003
MOTIONS: The House received a total of two hundred and ninety-six motions out of which two hundred and eighty-five motions passed through the legislative hurdle. However, only eleven motions were dropped out of the Legislative business.
BILLS: The House received eighty-one Bills out of which the Executive presented forty-one Bills and forty Bills were honourable Members' Bills. At the end of the Second Legislature, 55 Bills were passed and 26 dropped.
The Second Assembly in performing its oversight functions in relation to its legislative duties, initially operated with twenty-two Standing and Special Committees, but later ended up with eighteen Committees. These Committees were the pivots on which the activities of the House revolved.
The First Session of the Third Assembly which was inaugurated on Tuesday June 3, 2003, marked a major epoch in the Development of the Delta State House of Assembly. It is pertinent to note that the House maintained its twenty-nine Member House with seventeen of them as second-term Legislators having sound parliamentary experience which they brought to bear on their work in this current Session. The House is made up of twenty-four PDP Members, three Members from ANPP, one from Justice Party and one member from UNPP. All in all the House has a PDP colouration. The teething problems of accommodation and infrastructure which bedeviled the first and second Legislatures have been addressed. Today the Legislators now operate from their various offices within the Assembly Complex.
Within these First, Second and Third Sessions of the Third Assembly, the House received a total of fifty-one Bills. Nineteen Bills are from the Executive and 32 Bills from the Honourable Members of the House. Out of these Bills, twenty have been passed by the House, twenty-one are pending at different stages, and nine Bills failed in the process.
Within this current Legislative period, the House has passed a total of two hundred and eighteen resolutions out of the two hundred and twenty-eight motions it received. These resolutions have been sent to Federal, State and Local Governments and other bodies to address diverse issues affecting the State.
To a large extent the progress recorded in the journey so far by the House is greatly attributable to the stable leadership which the House has enjoyed since the Third Assembly.
LEADERSHIP OF THE THIRD ASSEMBLY (May 25th 2003 - May 29th 2007)
There was relative peace and stability in the Third Assembly, particularly of its leadership. However, after three years on the saddle, the Speaker, Hon. Igbrude was impeached on May 25, 2006 and a new Speaker, Hon (Engr) Franc Enekorogha was elected on the same day.
The leadership structure of the House under Hon. Enekorogha whose tenure spanned May 25,2006 - May 29, 2007 was as follows:
Following the elections of April 14, 2007 as a result of the growth Nigerian's polity, a fourth Assembly came into being on June 4, 2007 after the proclamation of the Assembly by the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
The membership of the House remains twenty-nine (29) with fifteen (15) new members coming into the' House for the first time. Fourteen (14) members however retained their seats. Of the 29 members, 26 are from the dominant party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while two members are from the Accord Party and one from the Action Congress (AC). The new Assembly has Eight Principal Officers.
On Tuesday Aprill 22 2008, the Lawmakers in Delta State House of Assembly decided to effect a change in its leadership by removing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Hon. (Dr) Olisa Imegwu and Hon. Funkekeme Solomon respectively. On the same day, Hon. (Barr.) Martin Okonta and Hon(Barr) Basil Ganagana were elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Three weeks laters, (May 13, 2008) another change occurred in the leadership in which the Majority Leaser position and some other positions were affected. Below is the constitution of the present leadership structure;
Mr. Raymond Yavbieri is Clerk of the House. He became Clerk on May 25, 2006 while Barr(Mrs Lyna Ocholor is Deputy Clerk. She was appointed Deputy Clerk on 23rd May, 2007.
