Izeze’s thesis on ‘standing order of legislative houses’ published in international law journal

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Delta State Commissioner for Works Highways and Urban Roads, Comrade Reuben Izeze has yet again scored an academic feat as his Masters Degree thesis has been published in an international law journal.

The article titled “Critiquing the democratic ideals of standing orders of legislative house through the prism of the rules of the Delta State House of Assembly: Lessons from a cross-country survey” and co-authored by his lecturers Mohammed O. Amali and Nansat Stephanie Omoarebu was published in the Volume 12 of the 2023 Nigerian Journal of Legal Studies.

Izeze a two-term member of the Delta State House of Assembly was first elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. He represented the people of Ughelli South State Constituency.

Recall that Izeze showed class and brilliance when he left Engineering to pursue a degree in law where he was awarded the best graduating student in the Department of Private Law at the 8th convocation of the Delta State University Abraka.

He was called to the Nigerian Bar as solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court on today 26th November, 2014.

The thesis was adjudged the best research work for the session by the team of external examiners led by Professor George Akinseye (SAN) due to the fact that the research not only added to the body of knowledge in that sphere of the LAW but was also novel as it had no precedent anywhere thus making it ORIGINAL in context and content.

Izeze et al, in the article stated that an important aspect of Parliamentary privilege is that each House has the privilege of controlling its own procedures.

“The Parliament draws up the rules in its own right because it has the power to introduce whatever regulations it deems appropriate.

“The permanent written rules under which the House regulates its proceedings are known as the Standing Orders, and these rules governing legislative processes have implication on the authenticity, the reach and quality of representation.

“Despite the paramount need for the sanctity of these rules, there has been a misuse of its provisions in certain quarters.

“Impelled therefore by the incessant suspension of lawmakers in Nigeria by Legislative Houses citing breach of Standing Orders/Rules, this article critically examines the extent and application of relevant areas of Standing Orders of the Delta State House of Assembly by interrogating the general level of internal democracy entrenched in it and juxtaposing it with corresponding Standing Orders of the parliaments of two different jurisdictions of New South Wales and Kenya.

“The paper finds that Standing Orders however well thought out are inherently laden with provisions that infringe upon the principles of democracy and democratic ideals generally and accordingly recommends that Standing Orders must not be in breach of democratic ideals.”