NASS moves to tackle oil spillage, environmental challenges – GLOBE President
Environment
By Cecilia Ijuo
Abuja, May 31, 2018 (NAN) The President, Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), Nigeria, Sen. Bukar Ibrahim, says plans are underway to enact or amend existing laws to tackle oil spillage and other environmental challenges in the country.
Ibrahim, made this known at the third stakeholders meeting of GLOBE-United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Natural Capital Legislation Project on Thursday in Abuja.
Ibrahim, who is also Chairman Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, said the legislature was poised to making contributions to tackling environmental problems bedevilling the country.
According to him, GLOBE is already meeting with major stakeholders in the environment sector to appraise current problems in order to have legislations that would better tackle them.
“There are laws already on ground regarding the environment but there are gaps and we will close those gaps.
“We are looking into amending and also enacting appropriate legislations to close the gap.
“Senators and members of the House of Representatives are well represented here. So, we will put heads together to ensure that is done,” he said.
Ibrahim explained that pending when appropriate laws were put in place, GLOBE would continue to work with relevant organisations to ensure a safe environment for all Nigerians.
“GLOBE is an international organisation and nations are using it to solve their environmental problems.
“Nigeria is also taking advantage of GLOBE Nigeria to solve its problems.
“The Great Green Wall, which is part of GLOBE, has for instance planted over three million trees in seven states of the federation; out of the 11 Front-line states they are meant to be working in.
“There are other projects that will come on board for the benefit of the country when the implementation committee of GLOBE is inaugurated soon by the President of the Senate.
“GLOBE will continue to monitor and coordinate activities of other organisation to ensure proper implementation,” he said.
Ibrahim said that global conversation on policy and legislative responses to address environmental problems had been grossly inadequate.
He added that the lack of adequate attention was more notable in developing countries like Nigeria, where people depended more on natural assets and ecosystem services.
The lawmaker commended UNEP, Federal Ministry of Environment, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, National Agency of the Great Green Wall and Federal Ministry of Finance for their contributions.
He also commended the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Nigeria Conservation Foundation and Central Bank of Nigeria as well as National Bureau of Statistics.
According to him, their contributions toward actualisation of GLOBE projects in Nigeria were laudable, particularly in terms of catalysing regional responses to environmental problems.
The Vice President, GLOBE Nigeria, Rep. Samuel Onuigbo said the gaps in policies and laws regarding environmental challenges in the country needed to be closed.
He said, “there are gaps in policy formulation and more specifically, we do not have the laws to support some of the things we will like to achieve.
“We have been making very serious effort in this respect.
“We are working on a bill and it is also a thing of joy to also say that a number of the presenters today were participants helping us to draft the bill on Climate Change.
“We are hopeful that before the end of next month we should have specific information on the status of the bill to know whether it has been assented to or whether we have to take any action.”
Onuigbo, who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South of Abia State, said lawmakers had been working on budgeting to ensure that agencies of government accessed more funds to tackle environmental challenges.
He urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to ensure adequate implementation and advocacy, while assuring them that the national assembly would continue to ensure better budgeting for the sector.(NAN)
CJM/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide