By Steve ONI, Ilorin

 As the Kwara State House of Assembly fine-tunes a new legislation on   waste management and environmental degradation, the  Ilorin, Kwara State Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA says various provisions in the bill would result in conflict of interest and functions between  the existing Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency, KWEPA Act and the proposed Waste Management Agency, to be established by the new bill if passed into law.

 However, the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly,   Dr. Ali Ahmad, has assured that the proposed legislation would lay  a stable base for sustainable clean and healthy environment in the State. Ahmad,  while declaring open a public hearing on "The Kwara State Waste Management Agency Bill 2016," said the current administration in the State attaches great importance to the cleanliness and healthcare of the citizenry and assured that the 8th legislature under his watch would continue to provide a platform for better performance by ensuring that the laws enacted by the House were of immense benefit to the people of the State.

 The Speaker observed that it was a common place to see private consultants illegally operating waste management ventures at the detriment of the nation's environment, warning that no responsible government would fold its arms and allow degradation of the environment, especially when there were global challenges and awareness to protect and salvage the environment.

 While making his submission, the State Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, noted with displeasure that ineffective solid waste management remains a major challenge in many developing countries, saying that developing effective waste management strategies was critical for nations in the world.

 The Commissioner, who enumerated the activities of the state government in ensuring a clean and safe environment in the State, advocated the scrapping of the law that empowered Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) to carry out  activities on protection and enhancement of the quality of the environment in the state in order to avoid role conflict. He expressed confidence that the passage of the bill into law would enhance effective waste management as well as aesthetic value in the State.

 The Dean School of Allied Health and Environmental Science, Abubakar Sola Saraki University, Molete, Professor Henry Sawyer, in his paper, insisted that for the agency to perform effectively, professionals must be made to man the proposed agency.

 Earlier in his address, the Chairman House Committee on Health and Environment, Hon. Ahmed Ibn Mohammed,  explained that the establishment of the agency became imperative due to the increase in population as well as the corresponding increase in the waste products generated by the  public and assured  the people that their inputs would be accommodated in the passage of the bill. He added that the legislation  would stimulate healthy environment and protect the environment against degradation.