ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE RT. HON. SPEAKER, KWARA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, HON. (DR) ALI AHMAD TO FORMALLY DECLARE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON “THE KWARA STATE WASTE MANAGEMENT AGENCY BILL, 2016” ON TUESDAY, 15TH MARCH, 2016 AT THE KWARA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, ILORIN.
Protocols,

I am glad to welcome all of you to this official function. The Public Hearing on “Kwara State Waste Management Agency Bill, 2016”

As you are aware, our primary duty here is to enact laws for the good governance of the state. This cannot be achieved without input from the general public so as to enrich the Bill and make it acceptable to all and sundry. It is therefore our collective responsibility to ensure that our laws are of benefit to all of us.

The importance of this Bill cannot be over emphasized bearing in mind the high priority which this administration places on the cleanliness and health care of Kwarans. You will therefore agree with me that our gathering today is to discuss and fashion out better ways of managing waste products.

Invited stakeholders, it is now common place to see private consultants illegally operating Waste Management outfits at the detriment of our environment. No responsible Government would therefore fold its arms and allow degradation of the environment especially now that there are global challenges and awareness to protect and salvage the environment. We are all living witnesses to either deliberate or inadvertent situation where Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency has become ineffective. Your invitation here, therefore, is for us to collectively consider these inadequacies vis-a-vis the establishment of another outfit that will be commercially oriented and be empowered to control, manage, and prevent the degradation of the environment through proper management of our waste products. The dice is now cast for you all to take positions on whether the existing Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency should be merged with either the Ministry of Environment that is saddled with the responsibility of providing policy guidelines or that KWEPA should be merged with this new Agency bearing in mind that KWEPA has more encompassing functions than Kwara State Waste Management Agency proposed in the Bill.

We should also note that Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency is a domesticated version of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency whose mandate covers a wide spectrum of land, sea and air pollution while the proposed Bill under consideration is about management of only solid wastes through a commercial and service oriented Agency. Your views, advice and observations are therefore germane to the consideration of the Bill so as to have people oriented Law.

What we are saying is this:
There seems to be proliferation of Agencies in this sector and they are:

1. Ministry of Environment – Policy formulation
2. KWEPA – Regulatory for the entire spectrum of Environment.
3. Kwara State Waste Management Company – Harmony
4. Now: Kwara Waste Management Agency: to engage in commercial venture on waste Management.

In view of the reality of what we have to do today that is keep our eyes on cost of governance, we need to be properly guided.

Distinguished invited guests, I want to assure you that this Eight Legislature would not leave any stone unturned at ensuring that the implementation of 2016 Appropriation Law is carried out for the benefit of all kwarans. We have put in our best in the passage of the Bill and we shall not relent in our oversight functions at ensuring that all the projects are duly implemented.

It is the desire of this Hon. House to partner and complement the effort of His Excellency, Alh. Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed in laying a stable base for a sustainable, clean and healthy environment in the State.

I sincerely believe that you, our stakeholders have been served copies of the Draft Bill each. Your objective contributions will therefore be highly appreciated as it will enhance and enrich the intended legislation on this important Bill.

I therefore welcome our distinguished guests to this Public Hearing as I declare it open for the benefit of all Kwarans.

I thank you all.