Ugo Nosiri, Owerri
The Imo State House of Assembly has passed three bills into Law.
The bills include: Bill for a Law to establish the Light-Up Imo Project; Bill for a Law to establish the Orashi Special Energy Free Trade Zone; and Bill for a Law to Repeal the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law No.13 of 2010 and to enact a Law to establish a Commission for the development of the Oil Producing Areas in Imo State.
The Bills were considered clause by clause, and certain amendments made before they were passed into law.
After the passage of the bills into law, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, instructed the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the Bills to Governor Hope Uzodimma for his assent.
The Bill on establishment of the Light-Up Imo Project presented by the Majority Leader, Rt. Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi is to ensure that Imo people begin to enjoy uninterrupted power supply from a steady source.
According to the Majority Leader, the State Government has decided to leverage on the recently enacted Electricity Reforms Law No. 2 of 2024 to ensure that the 27 Local Government Areas in the State are provided with sustainable and reliable electricity supply.
He said: “The project is to facilitate the rehabilitation, expansion and maintenance of the state’s electricity infrastructure, ensuring stable power generation, transmission and distribution throughout the twenty seven (27) Local Government Areas of Imo State.
The Bill for a Law to establish the Orashi Special Energy Free Trade Zone presented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, is to boost the economy of the State as there will be power supply for industries to thrive, and investors attracted to invest in the state.
It will also lead to harnessing of the gas deposits in Imo, which he said, had not been done by past administrations.
According to the Deputy Speaker, the benefits of the project would be enormous, such as boosting of industries, warehouses, business marketers, exportation, exemption of taxes, and reduction of different tariffs that will aid any businesses in Imo to blossom.
“In Nigeria today power supply has being the main issue which is why many businesses have collapsed, but with this Orashi Special Energy Free Trade Zone, we will be able to turn our economy from consumption to production,” Iwuanyanwu maintained.
The Bill for a Law to Repeal the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission Law No. 13 of 2010 and to enact a Law to establish a Commission for the development of the Oil Producing Areas in Imo State, sponsored by the Chief Whip of the House, Rt. Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri, provides among others, for the commission to receive and administer exclusively, forty per cent (40%) of the thirteen per cent (13%) Oil derivation fund accruing to Imo State from the Federal Government as an oil producing state for the purpose of – Rehabilitating and development of the Oil Producing Areas of the State.
The Commission is also to liaise with relevant Federal and State Government authorities on the control and effective methods of tackling the problems of erosion, pollution spillage and other environmental problems in the State.
They are to also enlighten the Oil Producing Areas about the efforts of the Government to pay special attention to the developmental needs of the oil Producing communities of the State.
