Rivers Assembly Passes Child Rights Bill, Others

The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed the reviewed  Child’s Rights Law No.10. 2009 into law.
Also, it passed the bills seeking the renaming of six prominent roads and buildings which include, Old Aba Road, Waterlines building, Produce House, Liberation Stadium, some parts of Government Reserved Area(GRA), and Judges Quarters.
The bills are yet to be signed into law, as the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani has asked the Clerk of the House to forward them to the governor for assent.
Debate on the bills had stretched with various lawmakers making input on how the bills should be amended.
Leader of the House, Hon. Bright Amaewhule, had argued that Section 100 of the Constitution as amended had given the Assembly powers to legislate, hence the bills in question were to better the state.
 Hon. Sam Ogeh of Emohua State Constituency was of the opinion that the titles be shortened, since reflecting all the names of the subjects will make the title long and clumsy.
He proposed that the bill had three sections.
On his final remarks, Chairman of the House Committee of the Whole, Rt. Hon. Ibani said the bills seeking to rename some major buildings and roads were to celebrate persons who had contributed to the state.
 Ibani explained that benefit of such gesture was to instil patriotism, hardwork. “It’s better to honour one when they are alive than when they are gone. And it stans to reinvigorate hope, and point to the need for service and sacrifice to society.”
He added that the Child’s Right Bill was amended to reflect new challenges, and give more bite to the previous law.

By: Kevin Nengia