The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed into law the bill to establish Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency.
This was part of the items on the order paper of 7th Assembly today, Tuesday, January 9, 2021.
Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, the Akwa ibom state House assembly Speaker, passed the bill after considering the report at the Committee of the Whole House.
Presenting the report, the Deputy Chairman, Rt. Hon. Mark Esset said the Committee involved largely relevant members of the public during the public hearing to give their quota in the making of the law.
The Committee observed that the passage of the bill will ensure clean air, land and water resources in the state and sustain the status of the state as the cleanest.
Also, the bill as passed will reduce environmental risk through available scientific information; will position environmental stewardship as premium in state policies as it concerns natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture and industry.
The law as passed will ensure clean up of contaminated land and other toxic sites by potential, responsible parties and revitalized same.
It will also eliminate overlaps and conflicts of powers and roles between the Ministry of Environment and the Agency.
After due consideration of the report by the House at the Committee of the Whole, recommendations and amendments on the bill were adopted and passed into law.
The Clerk, Mrs Mandu Umoren was directed to communicate same to the Governor for executive accent.
Meanwhile, the House also received from the State Governor nominees for State Universal Basic Education Board.
They include; former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Obong Paul Ekpo, as Chairman; Mr. Moses Enoidem (member); Mr. Nkorok Ambrose (member); Ini Friday Akpan (member); and Mr. Johnny Udoh (Member).
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, referred the matter to the House Committee on Justice, Human Rights and Public Petitions for further legislative actions and to report back to the House within two days.
However, the member representing Mbo State Constituency, Hon. Effiong Johnson on a matter of urgent public importance notified the House of the boundary crises in Mbo and urged the House as a matter of importance wade into the matter and other lingering boundary crises in Ibiono Ibom, Ibesikpo and Ini LGAs respectively.
In the same vein, the House considered, A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment of the Akwa Ibom State Bureau of Statistics for the Collection, Compilation, Analysis, Publication and Dissemination of the Statistical System, And for Other Purposes Connected therewith’, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko (Ibesikpo Asutan). This was read the first time and referred to the House Committee on Rules, Business, Ethics and Privileges for rescheduling.
The House also ratified the report of the Public Accounts Committee on Covid-19 Budget Execution Report of Akwa Ibom State Government for the quarter ended, 30th September, 2020.
Press Unit,
Office of the Speaker,
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
