{"id":13442,"date":"2017-02-21T20:29:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T20:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=13442"},"modified":"2017-02-21T20:29:00","modified_gmt":"2017-02-21T20:29:00","slug":"hasty-passage-of-lagos-environmental-law-unacceptable-will-be-resisted-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=13442","title":{"rendered":"Hasty Passage of Lagos Environmental Law Unacceptable, Will be Resisted \u2013 Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16166\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16167\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/lagos.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13289\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/lagos-300x136.jpg\" alt=\"lagos\" width=\"300\" height=\"136\" \/><\/a>A coalition of civil society groups, grassroots campaigners and water unionists have vowed to resist the Lagos State Environmental Bill which was passed yesterday (Feb 20) by the Lagos House of Assembly,<span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16168\">\u00a0 <\/span>less than two weeks after the groups challenged key sections of the law at a Public Hearing organised by the House Committee on the Environment.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16169\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16170\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16171\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16172\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The groups also asked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode not to assent to the bill but rather, send it back to the House to throw it open again for wider consultations and inputs from Lagos citizens.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16175\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16176\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The bill, which harmonises and merges eight environment laws in the state into one, is titled, \u2018<b id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16177\"><i id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16178\">A Bill for a Law to Consolidate all Laws relating to the Environment for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes<\/i><\/b>.\u2019<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16179\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16180\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16181\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16182\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Media reports indicate that after its passage yesterday, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni to send a clean copy to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for his signature to make it law.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16183\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16184\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16185\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16186\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The House members had cut short their six weeks recess to attend to the bill and same week it took the first and second reading and held the public hearing where activists picked holes in the law. The members went on another recess after passing the law.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16187\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16188\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16189\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16190\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Activists particularly decried sections of the law that guaranteed payment for contractual services and concessions with an Irrevocable Service Payment Order (ISPO) as the first line charge on the state internally-generated revenue. This means if the law is assented to by Governor Ambode, the state will use tax payers money to pay the corporate entities, without fail before considering payment for other services<span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16191\">\u00a0<\/span>like salaries, healthcare, education or road construction, no matter how pressing they may be.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16192\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16193\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16194\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16195\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The bill also gave too much powers to the Lagos Commissioner for Environment, criminalizes sinking of boreholes, and imposes fines and sets prison terms for any Lagos citizen that sells or transports water, among others.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16196\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16197\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16198\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16199\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The groups criticizing the passage include: Environmental Rights Action\/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA\/FoEN), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Peace and Development Project (PEDEP) and Centre for Children&#8217;s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-Hope). Others are Center for Dignity and African Women Water Sanitation and Hygiene Network (AWWASHN), among others.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16200\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16201\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16202\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16203\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">ERA\/FoEN Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said: \u201cWe are too shocked at this clandestine passage by members of the House which was so hurriedly done that it smacks of respect for Lagos residents who are already victims of the Lagos government deliberate withholding of funding to the water sector to pave way for privatization\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16204\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16205\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16206\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16207\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Oluwafemi pointed out that, \u201cThe hasty convergence and recourse to recess by the lawmakers after passing this law is not only suspect, it is a conspiracy against the people\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16208\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16209\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16210\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16211\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">National President of AUPCTRE, Comrade Solomon Adelegan said that: \u201cThe water privatization plans of the Lagos government which we have stood against and mobilised against till date is now being imposed on the people using the instrumentality of a law that was not properly debated, and fraught with anti-people sections.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16212\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16213\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16214\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16215\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u201cWe will not sit back idly and watch our water infrastructure put in the hands of a few capitalists who have vowed to mortgage our collective future\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16216\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16217\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16218\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16219\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Executive Director of PEDEP, Francis Abayomi pointed out that Lagos residents will take to the streets and use every peaceful means to resist the environmental law, even as he asked: \u201cWhat is the logic behind members of the House passing this obnoxious law and then going on recess immediately as if they are absconding?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16220\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16221\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16222\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16223\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Francis explained that the environment law as currently passed<span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16224\">\u00a0 <\/span>would burden Lagosians and is the guise to introduce the PPP in the water sector which Lagosians have roundly rejected.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16225\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16226\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16227\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16228\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, Betty Abah said that \u201cit is disheartening to know that a law concocted by a few capitalists could be so easily passed <span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_1153348824\"><span class=\"aQJ\">within two weeks<\/span><\/span> of a Public Hearing. Incredible! We will resist it.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16229\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16230\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16231\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16232\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The group said among a long list, it had already recommended the solution to the challenges to accessing water in Lagos in a document titled:<span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16233\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cLagos Water Crisis: Alternative Roadmap for the Water Sector\u201d launched October 2016.<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16234\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16235\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16236\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16237\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16238\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16239\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16240\"><b id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16241\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16242\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Philip Jakpor<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16243\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16244\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16245\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16246\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Head, Media &amp; <span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16247\"><\/span>Campaigns<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16248\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16249\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16250\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16251\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Environmental Rights Action\/Friend of the Earth Nigeria<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16252\" dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16253\" style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16254\"><span id=\"m_5886631596341795232yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1487666908023_16255\" style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">08037256939<\/span><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/market.jumia.com.ng\/computers-laptops-gaming\/?utm_source=pap&amp;utm_medium=aff&amp;utm_campaign=b364e0f2&amp;a_aid=Omafume&amp;a_bid=b364e0f2\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"\/\/kaymu.postaffiliatepro.com\/accounts\/default1\/a72f75b38\/b364e0f2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"557\" height=\"239\" \/><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/kaymu.postaffiliatepro.com\/scripts\/a72f75i38?a_aid=Omafume&amp;a_bid=b364e0f2\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A coalition of civil society groups, grassroots campaigners and water unionists have vowed to resist the Lagos State Environmental Bill which was passed yesterday (Feb 20) by the Lagos House of Assembly,\u00a0 less than two weeks after the groups challenged key sections of the law at a Public Hearing organised by the House Committee on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":13289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[3204,936,26],"class_list":["post-13442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-akinbode-oluwafemi","tag-akinwunmi-ambode","tag-erafoen"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/lagos-e1756353600435.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-3uO","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13442"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13443,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13442\/revisions\/13443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}