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The Senate on Tuesday prescribed a five-year jail term for any unauthorised importer or exporter of any nuclear material in the country.
Specifically, the Senate is criminalising illegal activities of persons importing or exporting any nuclear material and or substances, without a license from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).
Asides the five-year jail term penalty, the Senate also proposed an option of fine of not less than five million naira for individual offenders and a fine of N20 million on conviction for corporate bodies.
This was contained in bill for an Act to Repeal the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act 1995 and enact the nuclear safety, security and safeguards Act and re-establish the Nigerian nuclear regulatory authority and other related matters.
The bill which passed second reading is being sponsored by Senator Ajayi Borrofice (Ondo North).
The Senate is worried that Nigeria may be exposed to risks of radioactive and nuclear sources of energy, should the country fail to immediately introduce enabling laws that would regulate nuclear technology.
The bill seeks to to regulate nuclear sources of energy in the country to stem unauthorised sources and ensure security and safeguard for the nuclear industry.
Also, the proposed bill, if finally passed, would re-establish the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), with membership from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.
The bill stipulates that “an offending Director or officer of the corporate body shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or an option of fine of not less than five million naira or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
It also provides that “any operator of nuclear installation, who fails to take measures to secure any nuclear material in such a manner as to result in unauthorized access, theft or loss of control of such materials or sources commits an offence and shall in the case of an individual, be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not lass than five years or a fine of not less than N10 million or to both; and in the case of a corporate body, be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than N50 million.”
Leading the debate, Boroffice said: “The existing law (Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act no 19 of -1995) is twenty five year old. It has been overtaken by events and developments in the field of nuclear technology.
“It falls below the minimum standards of independence and other requirements, considered to be Indispensable and prescribed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for national nuclear relay our bodies worldwide.
“The current law does not provide for the regulation of the Nuclear Power Programme and Nuclear emergency preparedness; and does not deal with the growing challenge of radioactive waste management,” Boroffice noted.
“Although Nigeria does not generate electricity from nuclear sources, it is considering doing so in the nearest future because research shows that nuclear power offers one of the cleanest source of energy, reduces the amount of energy generated from fossil fuels and provides stable base load of energy at relatively lower costs.”
“It is one of the promising forms of alternative energy. Due to advancement in technology, it has become an one of the safest sources of energy”, Boroffice explained.
“After painting a very positive picture of the derivable benefits from passing the bill, it is also equally pertinent for us to know the harmful effects of unregulated sources of energy,” Boroffice said.
Solomon Ayado, Abuja
