By Beatrice Akpala
Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law and no one or group of persons should be dehumanized or arbitrarily deprived of improved or quality standard of living, Rt. Hon. Mike Etaba made this declaration while carrying out on the spot assessment of four designated companies in Trans Amadi Industrial Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He insisted that as Chairman House Committee On Public Petitions diligence, transparency, dedication and commitment to the welfare of the people is his ultimate priority and he will never play politics with the welfare of the people.
He intimated that their scope of work during the two days working visit includes interface with affected parties and livelihood protection assessment to ascertain the level of compliance of Halliburton, Coca Cola, Schlumberger and International breweries in line with the internationally recognized standards for waste disposal. He reiterated that the risk associated with waste pollution can not be underestimated and as such the offloading and discharge of waste must meet all requirements for waste containment, disposal and disinfection procedures.
Following a petition that was submitted to the House of Representatives by Bridge the Gap Initiative In Education and Health in Nigeria which was channeled to the House Committee on Public Petitions, Etaba further explained that the Committee on Public Petitions has the obligation to ensure that the interest of the people is uppermost in all its considerations and decision. According to him the Committee is required to submit reports from the oversight function activities to the House in plenary for further legislative action.
He stated vehemently that the people of Oginigba community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State deserves to be protected by both the State and Federal Government of Nigeria to prevent outbreaks of epidemics injurious to lives. He declared that the polluted water body; Mini Okoro River must be disinfected as a prerequisite to safeguarding the health of the people in Oginigba community and its environs. He added that the House Committee On Public Petitions affords the people the right to constitutionally entrench their rights to representation.
Rt. Hon. Etaba noted that the legislature serves as an important arm of government whose role includes checking the excesses and ensuring a safeguard of rights of the citizenry. It is in the effort to effectively fulfill these roles that the legislature by law and convention sets up committees. He further established that the House Committee on Public Petitions is set up to enable citizens to ventilate their dissatisfaction, draw government’s attention to societal ills, and among others, provide information to elected leaders about unpopular policies, exposes misconduct, waste, corruption and in competence in governance.
The Chairman and his committee members thanked the Governor of Rivers State for his cooperation and hospitality towards the committee. He disclosed that his readiness to support and partner with the committee to regulate multinationals and their operations is indicative of his love for the people of Rivers State.