The Legislative Arm of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, has presented a Bill for a Bye-Law to Promote, facilitate, and regulate Partnership between the public and Private Sector for economic development in Port Harcourt City Local Government Council and to establish a Public- Private Partnership, and other related matters, seeking to have the opinion of people as regards the bill for a bye-law.
Presenting his speech, the leader of PHALGA Legislative Assembly, Hon. Kingsley Owhonda Amadi, represented by Hon. Bethel Amadi of Ward 17, welcomed the guests to the public hearing and formally declared the event open.
While introducing the bill for public hearing, Hon. Wolu wonderful, representing Ward 1, sponsor of the bill and Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, described the public hearing as one of the house’s processes of making laws, adding that the bill was not targeted at developing the Council alone, but to develop and boost the economic base of the Local Government.
Wonderful, opined that the bill when finally passed into law will help promote the economic activities in Port Harcourt City Council; promising to liase with the house leader to see how they can partner with the legal team to make better laws for the people of PHALGA.
The legal team from the Nigerian Bar Association, Rivers State Branch, include: Barr. G. N. Okonkwo, Chief Barr. J. G. Young-Arney and Barr. U.R. Ezekiel. They looked at the 22 schedules of the bill and proposed to the committee to provide alternative dispute resolution process to create an enabling environment for the prospective investors to the Local Government.
The team as well, proposed the need for time to time publication on income and expenditure of the Bureau, to show transparency, while Prince Ihunwo Williams, an industrial management expert from PHALGA Ward 3, advised the committee on the issue of taxation as it concerns the investors.
Hon. Peter Arimie, Ward 6, commended the legal team for the incisive contributions to the bill and promised that the house will take a holistic look at all the contributions and do justice to the bill, before passage.
The Bill sponsored by Hon. Wolu Wonderful and seconded by Hon. Ikechukwu Kalagbor of Ward 8, may be cited as Port Harcourt City Council Public-Private Partnership Bye-Law 2012, when passed into law.
By Blaise Elumezie
