The Bill for an Act to repeal the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act no. 19 of 1995 and enact the Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Act 2009 moved one step closer to passage with a Public Hearing by a joint session of the House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Science and Technology. The Bill seeks to take care of additional Protocols, Conventions, International Treaties and Agreements entered into by Nigeria after the extant Act 19 of 1995 which established the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA.
The Nigerian Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards Act will re-establish NNRA and also empower it to address the dynamics in the industry like licensing the proposed Nuclear Power Plants for electricity generation in the country. The Public hearing was declared open by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, represented by the Chief Whip, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. He said there is no doubt that the Public Hearing will enrich the Bill which scaled second reading in January, 2010.
JOINT SESSION OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The Chairman of the Joint Session of House of Representatives Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Science and Technology, Hon. Bassey Otu, encouraged everyone to feel free to make contributions with a promise that they will do a good work with all the submissions.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy (Petroleum) and Alternate Chairman to NNRA Governing Board, Dr Emmanuel Egbogah, said Nigeria is now party to 14 International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, agreement which are yet to be incorporated into Nigerian law. He said the Bill adequately takes care of nuclear safety and radiation protection issues and was vetted by the Attorney- General and Minister of Justice before it was submitted to the National Assembly in August, 2009 by the President.
DR. EGBOGAH SPEAKING AT THE JOINT SESSION
NNRA Director-General, Prof. Shamsideen Elegba, said the bill will strengthen NNRA in its regulatory functions which, he said, goes beyond departments in the Science and Technology Ministry, covering 11 areas. Some of these are agriculture, health, petroleum and manufacturing.
PROF. ELEGBA SPEAKING AT THE JOINT SESSION
SOME STAKEHOLDERS AT THE JOINT SESSION
When asked if the NNRA should not be seeking an amendment to the extant Act No. 19 of 1995 instead of repeal, he said if that is done, over half of the Act is to be amended. If the Act establishing NNRA is to be repealed, he said, it follows that the new Act will have to re-establish a new NNRA.
