By: Felix Ikpotor
Trading on the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs and citing of illegal motor parks would soon be an offence.
This is even as the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Market and Motor Park Prohibition Bill 2019 has passed first reading on the floor of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The executive bill was sent to the house by the state governor, Nyesome Wike with intents to prohibit all forms of street trading, illegal markets and motor parks in Rivers State and make it a punishable offence.
The bill when passed into law will prescribe several punishments for offenders and take traders off the streets of Port Harcourt.
PHSpectator recalls that the traders and the government have been having a running battle over their evacuation from the streets.
In the meantime, the 21-day extension given to traders to vacate the streets of Port Harcourt expires today, Tuesday.
Also on Monday, the State Assembly deferred debate on the report of the ad-hoc committee on the Bille passenger boats sea pirate attacks for the 2nd time to another legislative day.
This followed complaints by members that they were yet to receive copies of the report and as such cannot commence debate on the report.
They insisted that they would be unable to make meaningful inputs on the reports without having copies before them
The member representing ONELGA II in the state assembly, Hon Nathaniel Uwaji said that as a matter of fact, the house doesn’t debate something out of anything.
According to him: “We hear that the reports have been distributed, but from my point of view, I can tell you vividly that the report is not with anybody here”
Also calling for deferment of debate, Deputy Whip of the House, Major Jack said that copies of the report has not been distributed to them and suggested that the debate be deferred
Debate on the report was however deferred to another legislative day after a vote by majority of the lawmakers asking that it be deferred
Recall that on the 27th of June when the house called for the report, chairman of the Ad-hoc committee and the lawmaker representing Gokana constituency, Dumle Maol said the committee was still tidying up the report assuring that it will be presented on the next legislative day.
