By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Following the menace of soot pollution in Rivers state, Rivers State Network of Nongovernment Organisations ( RINNGOS) has hinted that in July, the Rivers state Soot Bill will be signed into law, to further fight the illegal activities promoting air pollution in the state.
President of RNNOGS, Dr. Mina Ogbanga on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with NatureNews, explained the provisions, penalties and implementation process of the Bill.
She informed that the Bill has undergone all the processes to become a law and that what is left is the assent by the state governor, Gov Nyesom Wike, which will happen in July.
Ogbanga noted that there are over 10 provisions of the Bill, which spelt out actions that will indict anybody who engages into air pollution activities.
She said, ‘’The provisions laid out penalties for anyone whose car, house or property are being used for illegal refining of petroleum products or transportation of the products. It also looked at punishing those encouraging youths to go into bunkering as well as punishing those in authority who use their position to engage in illegal activities”.
“The provisions concentrated on specific things affecting the environment and laid out a penalty of 7 years imprisonment without fine or bail of anybody caught in illegal activities that promote soot”.
She said that to consider the soot Bill, the CSOs pushed to amend the National Environmental Protection Law, which served as a bold step in addressing Soot issues.
She informed that subsections 5, 6 and 7 of the law were amended and that sub section 5 states that ‘’ A person who causes or engages in any activity that causes or contributes to the cause of soot however in any part of Rivers State commits an offence and is liable of conviction to the imprisonment of six years without an option of fine.’’
She also stated that anybody on the street caught burning any kind of material, for example tyres will be arrested.
Dr Ogbanga informed that once the bill is assented, implementation of the law will begin by first creating awareness of the law to the 23 local government areas of the state.
“When it gets assented by the governor, it will become a law and from there, anybody luring young people to carry out illegal activities will be arrested”.
“Before implementing the law, awareness creation will come first. The timeline for the awareness will happen for some months because awareness will be passed to different local government areas, individuals and groups. If you go outside and pack tire and start burning it indiscriminately, you will be arrested. Most IOC’s will now be aware of the law after the assent”, she added.
Dr. Ogbanga noted that the Rivers state Climate Change Bill and Rivers state Gender and Climate Change Bill are also waiting for a public hearing, which will occur in July.
