The Rivers State House of Assembly, last Monday, passed the Rivers State Environmental Protection and Management Amendment Bill into law.
Speaker of the Assembly, Rt.Hon. Ikuinyi-OwajiIbani, before dividing the house after serious debate on the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Health and Environment, said the bill before the house seeks to address the problem of soot in the state.
“Any law can undergo amendment, and the bill before us seeks to address the problem of soot in the state.
“I commend the joint committee for the conduct of public hearing which was well attended, and attracted the highest number of people so far in all our public hearings.
“Having listened to the debate by the various speakers, I do not see anything difficult in what various speakers have said based on interpretation of words”, Ibani said.
The bill to amend the Rivers State Environmental Protection and Management Law No.7 of 2019 passed through the Third Reading after members voted, and the 14 members that voted, all voted in favour of the bill.
The passage came after a heated debate where many members critically looked at the report and recommendations of the joint committee.
Arguments mostly centred on the legality and or illegality of refining of petroleum products, and proper definition of what constitutes petroleum allied products.
Attention was also drawn to the implementability of the law when passed, hence the resolution to pass the 3rd reading with its amendment.
