Stakeholders Laud Public Utilities Bill

Stakeholders and the public have given
massive support to the proposed law to protect public utilities in Rivers State
with strong commendations to the sponsor of the bill.

This was the consensus at the public
hearing on the Rivers State Public Utilities Protection Bill sponsored by Hon.
Martin Amaewhule, member representing Obio/Akpor constituency 1, in the
Assembly.

Chairman of the House Committee on Urban
Development, Hon. Ibelema Okpokiri, said it was unfortunate that the state does
not have data bank of facilities underground,
explaining that the bill when passed into law would give the Ministry of
Urban Development the legal backing to regulate all infrastructural
development.

Hon. Okpokiri noted that the draft law
proposes the setting up of a committee that would authorise any excavation to
avoid the destruction of water pipes and under ground cables during
construction work.

A representative of the Ministry of
Housing, Mr. Valentine Obi, said specific distances should be given from public
utilities, noting that government building also fall under public utilities.

Mr. Obi lamented a growing trend in the
state where illegal occupants of government buildings take the Ministry to
court to stop their eviction.

He argued that the committee should include
a representative of the Ministry of Works, emphasising that the Chairmanship of
the Committee should be rotational with a term of office stipulated for them.

The Ministry of Works and Water Resources
also made their inputs while a presentation from the Acting General Manager of
Water Board that the board pumps thousands of litres of water at the various
stations caused disbelief on the faces of participants.