3 Years Jail Term For Extortionists In Rivers …As Amaechi Signs 5 Bills Into Law

To protect property developers, and those who do businesses in the state, Governor Chibuike Amaechi has formally signed the Rivers State Land Use Prohibition and Extortion Bill NO.5 of 2010 into Law.

The Law prescribes among other things three years imprisonment without an option of fine, for anyone found culpable of contravening the provisions of the Law, which according to the Governor is pro-business-oriented.

Governor Amaechi who assented to the Law and four others yesterday in Port Harcourt said he would personally oversee the implementation of the Law to check the activities of those who disturb property owners, or sell a parcel of land to two or more persons.

According to him, “we need to send some people to prison to allow for operation of free business activities in the state, adding, “people are running away because of all these unnecessary things”, which bear all shades of names like “matching ground, bush entry, youth and community levy, etc”.

The Governor disclosed that he would soon set up a committee comprising lawyers from the Ministry of Justice, police officers and military officers, that would go round the state looking for people who are trying to stop those engaged in business activities, while the office of the Attorney-General would harmonize all existing tax laws in the state to avoid double taxation.

On the Rivers State Statistics Law, which was a private member bill, Governor Amaechi said it would help to take care of the problems of lack of accurate date in our system, adding, no proper planning can take place without adequate statistics, emphasizing that “figures and data appears to be a problem in the country, and we were happy when we learnt that the Assembly had initiated such a bill”, Governor Amaechi said he was excited over the Finance Control and Management Law, which he said would make for accountability, and challenged the State Assembly to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, which was sent to them many months ago, which is geared to further check corruption in the state.

The Governor thanked the Speaker of the State Assembly and members of the House for their Commitment towards the passage of the Laws that had been signed, and expressed hope that it would help to promote development in the state.

The five bills signed into Law include Rivers State University of Education Amendment Law NO.2 of 2010, State Statistics Law No.3 of 20l0, Land use Prohibition and Extortion Law NO.5 of 20l0, Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Law No.6 of 20l0, and Rivers State Finance Control and Management Law 2010.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi (left) signing five bills into law at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt, while State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ken Chikere (middle) and Leader, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, watch, recently.