The State lawmaker representing Ohafia South State Constituency at the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Kalu Mba Nwoke yesterday at plenary led a debate on HAB 31; a bill for a law to Established the Abia State Polluter Pays and Extended producer responsibility for the management of non biodegradable packaging materials and for other matters connected therewith he after the bill undergoes its second reading.
Hon. Kalu who is also the Chairman house Committee on Environment, urban renewal and Newmap, said that HAB 31 if passed into law, seeks to introduce a robust legal framework for the management of non biodegradable packaging materials such as plastic bottle waters, cement bags, pure water nylons, nylon bags used by retails outlets in selling of their products to customers in the State.
He further noted that the above mentioned materials after usage are dumped indiscriminately on the streets, drainages, which also litter the environment and by the extension caused serious environmental pollution by the way of blocking drainages.
The environmentally friendly State Legislator also said, that many of these materials after finding their ways to our waters, caused harm to the aquatic lives in the sea and ocean.
According to him, HAB 31 also aims to implement the polluter pays principle (PPP) by imposing a levy on producers and distributors of the non biodegradable materials as well as establish an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme which will mandate the producers and distributors of non biodegradable packaging materials in the State to take adequate responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products more especially post consumer waste collection / management. The bill if passed into law will reduce environmental pollution, encourage the use of sustainable and non biodegradable alternative materials in packing of products and promote circular economy in the State. Also, the bill will be a great source of generating revenue for the Stage if passed into law as the polluters and outlets that use these materials will be compulsorily made to pay a certain amount to the State Government to aid in keeping the state clean.
The speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, committed the bill to the House joints committees on Health, commerce and trade, and environment for public hearing and gave the committees two weeks to revert back to the House.
Also, the House received a matter of urgent public importance presented by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu (Arochukwu) on the invasion of his community at atan Abam in Arochukwu on Sunday 13th, 2025 by the people of ikot essien community in Akwa Ibom State over the ownership of their land located at a place called Akpa Ukwu in Arochukwu.
Hon. Okoro said that his people so far received severe injuries and that some of them are missing since the incident on Sunday.
He prayed for the State Government should as a matter of urgency provide his community with adequate security in order to safeguard the lives and property of his people and to forestall further attacks on them by Akwa Ibom people. That the House should mandate its committee on security and boundary matters to liaise with the office of the deputy Governor of Abia State to investigate and determine the rightful owners of the disputed akpan Ukwu land and restore sustainable peace in his community. The House condemned the attacked and also granted all his prayers as presented by the majority leader of the House.
