Customary Court Bill Divides RVHA

Within the week under review, the Rivers State House of Assembly sat only on Wednesday when the second reading of the Customary Court Bill was taken and the introduction of a repackaged Waste Management Agency Bill scaled first reading.

Debate on the improved Customary court bill opened with Hon Onari Brown who eulogised the sponsor of the draft law particularly for the innovation in giving chieftaincy and traditional marriage issue to the customary courts to handle.

He, however, disagreed with the provision on membership of the court, arguing that the composition should include at least one person who is not a lawyer but vast in customs and traditions of the people.

This position gained more support from members and it was expected to move further to the committee stage where public hearing to elicit contributions from the public is required.

The argument which the House presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, could not resolve whether the public hearing should be done in Port Harcourt or in the rural communities considering the localised nature of the bill.

Majority agreed with the proponents of holding the hearing in constituencies to ensure adequate participation, but it was apparently stalled by the possibility of financing the exercise. The inability to resolve the funding led the presiding speaker to defer the matter to a later date.

The leader of the House, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, presented a repackaged Waste Management Agency Bill that was earlier rejected for containing clauses that would make the law if passed difficult to be implemented.

He urged the lawmakers to give the new improved bill their support because concerted efforts had been made to remove all harsh sections from the bill as it  provides that the Ministry of Environment will play a supervisory role to ensure adherence to laid down rules.

Within the week under discussion,  members of the Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Football Club of Yokhana, in Khana Local Government were in the office of the Deputy Speaker. Hon. Leyii Kwanee on a thank you visit.

The Deputy Speaker, who represents Khana Constituency 11, said he was elated to watch one of the players from the team, Dumate Piagbara score two goals in the current campaign of the Flying Eagles.

He observed that the positive exploits of the team within a short period of its existence has spurred him to continue to invest on the young players that would be the future brided of the state and the nation at large.

Similarly, the chairman of the House Committee on Information and Training, Hon. Onari Brown,  has been honoured by the Sea View Poetry Club of Port Harcourt  for his contribution to the development of youths in the state.

Speaking while hosting the celebration of this year’s World Poetry Day with members of the club, Hon Onari, told them to continue to explore their inherent talents because the contributions they make were being appreciated.

He assured that the Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree would partner with them to improve the platform and frontiers of knowledge which they seek to achieve.