Rivers Assembly Rejects Report On Rivers State Waste Management Bill 2012

Hon Speaker RSHA

By Chioma Andy

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday, 25th February, 2013 rejected the report of the House standing Committee on Environment on Rivers State Waste Management Bill 2012 which had gone through public hearing.

The Speaker of the House, Rt, Hon, Otelemaba Amachree said that the report be taken back to the committee for fine-tuning and repackaging before it is represented back to the House. He asked the Leader of the House, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, to work with the committee to find out when there would be time for the report to come up again.

The bill which was on its third reading was debated upon by members of the House and majority of them were of the opinion that some of the recommendations were not possible to execute.

Hon. Martin Amewhule while commending the committee for a good work done highlighted clause 45(7) “ …when plans are submitted to the relevant agencies of government for approval, respect with building, the person submitting the plans for approval shall submit to the authorities simultaneously, with the application.” Click on read more below to continue reading

He said that the indication was that the bill seeks to bring is another impediment to the approval of plans (buildings) in the state. That the bills before passed should be looked at from the impact it will have on the people.

He stated the it will mean that before someone builds a house in Port Harcourt, that the person would now need to go to all the agencies: Environmental, Power, Water, including the Waste Authority that would be created if the bill was passed before one could build.

He therefore said that it is not achievable and that it will become another money making machine for all these agencies before they approve of such building plan, and that it would be amount to duplication of functions.

He pointed out that too much power would be given to the proposed Waste management authority board and that the chairman would be a demigod as people would now depend on him to hold any social event, build or even hold a religious function because one would then need to have their approval from them before having any event.

That such would make the authorities so powerful which could lead to abuse of citizens.

Hon. Ewor Nname Robinson, Deputy Leader of the House out rightly rejected the report and asked that it be returned back to the committee. Hon. Innocent Barikor and many others also aligned themselves with the deputy leader.