News

Reps Summon Environment Minister, DG NEMA

Published

4 months ago

May 28, 2024

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Environment and Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to appear before its Committee on Environment or face sanctions accordingly.

Naijablitznews.com reports that the duo were expected to appear at a public hearing organised by the House Committee on Environment to address the devastating issues of gully erosion, perennial flooding, and desertification that plague many communities in Nigeria, but did not honour the invitation nor send a representative.

The hearing was to address the adverse impacts of gully erosion in several communities across six states, namely, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Lagos, and Ondo; as well as the desertification disaster in Kano and the flooding disaster in Bauchi State.

Chairman of the Committee on Environment, Rep. Committee on Environment, Hon Pondi Gbabojor, expressed displeasure over their absence, even as he said it was the second time they were shunning the invitation to appear.

He therefore directed the clerk of the Committee to write to the Minister of Environment and DG NEMA as such attitude would no longer be condoned.

He said: “Clerk do a letter to the Ministry of Environment and NEMA and express the displeasure of the committee because this is the second time they are not showing up and it would not be condoned again”.

Rep. Gbabojor said that the issue to be addressed was of urgent concern to the wellbeing of Nigerians, especially as the concerns were brought to the attention of the House during plenary, following the deliberation of some motions which were accordingly referred for further legislative actions.

He said the environmental crisis resulting from gully erosion is more prevalent in the South-Eastern region, and has reached an alarming stage.

He said the degradation has not only depleted the vast fertile land for agriculture, but has also impacted the infrastructure such as roads, buildings and ultimately displacement of communities.

The Committee Chairman further said over time, perennial flooding had unleashed its devastating consequences in many parts of Nigeria, especially in coastal and riverine areas, particularly Lagos, Delta, and Bayelsa, which has resulted in great human, agricultural, and economic losses.

He added that equally, desertification, particularly in the northern parts, is swiftly encroaching and that this silent but relentless crisis reduces fertile land, threatens food security, and deepens poverty.

Gbabojor said desert encroachment has affected and continues to affect millions of people who depend on agriculture for their survival.

“As the Committee on Environment, alongside other pertinent committees of the House, we recognize the urgent need to address these challenges comprehensively and to chart a course toward sustainable solutions that will protect our environment and provide relief to the affected individuals and communities.

“It is in light of the above, that this Hearing is convened today, to enable us to gather insights from experts, stakeholders, and affected communities, and to deliberate on the multifaceted and severe environmental crises we face as a Nation”, he stated.

He explained that the House following its consideration of the Motions, called on Institutions of Government to amongst others provide immediate relief materials to ameliorate the sufferings of the affected residents and possibly resettle them; visit the affected areas, and carry out a comprehensive review to ascertain the extent of environmental damage caused by these incidents; and expedite the construction of shoreline protection as a matter of urgency to prevent further erosion-related damage and ensure the survival of these communities.

He added that they are also to embark on a mass afforestation program that includes the planting of economic trees, development of shelter belts, woodlots to enhance soil conservation, improve biodiversity and increase fuel wood, while also providing seeds and farm inputs that are resistant to drought; prioritize projects that promote environmental conservation in budgetary allocations; and allocate funds to accommodate the erosion control projects, flood management systems, and desertification prevention programs in the affected communities in the 2025 Appropriation Act.

“We must take proactive measures to forestall natural occurrences that lead to environmental degradation. This includes investing in research and development to better understand and predict environmental changes, by adhering to early warning systems, and developing resilient infrastructure that can withstand environmental shocks.

“While I look forward to fruitful discussions and valuable insights that will emerge from this hearing, which will hopefully shape the future of our environment and the well-being of our people. I urge everyone to approach and accord this task the seriousness it demands and the collaborative spirit it requires. Together, we can develop and implement strategies that will protect our environment, provide relief to those affected, and ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for all Nigerians,” Gbadojor said.

Earlier in his remarks, Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, said the prevalence of climate change had impacted the environment harmfully, resulting in an increased wave of erosion, desertification, flooding, and other forms of natural disasters that have assumed severe and worrisome dimensions in the vulnerable communities across the 36 states of the Federation.

The Speaker who was represented by the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Abdullahi Halims, said the ecological threats have specifically caused deaths, displacement of homes, devastation of farmlands and means of livelihood, and destruction of infrastructure, leading to socio-economic challenges in communities across the eight states captured in the public hearing.

“As the People’s Parliament and in line with our Legislative Agenda of embarking on legislative processes and legal frameworks to address environmental challenges, the House resolved to respond urgently to the menace in the communities to stem the ugly tide. On this note, I urge you to feel free to make your contributions in the most resourceful and open manner possible to provoke positive legislative results”, he said.

News

Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity

Published

4 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Honourable Memounatou Ibrahima, restated that the parliament remains committed to ensuring the unity and integration of the people within the subregion.

According to Speaker Ibrahima, the Parliament will continue to use parliamentary diplomacy to engage countries that are considering leaving the bloc due to political challenges, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as a result of military coups they experienced.

The Speaker stated this when she led a delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament on a working visit to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday in Abuja.

She highlighted that while countries may break formal cooperation, the people of the region remain interconnected, adding that the Parliament, as representatives of these people, will work to maintain the unity.

Ibrahima expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Senate for supporting ECOWAS by providing necessary facilities for their plenary sessions, even as she discussed the socio-political challenges facing the region, as well as how parliamentarians can contribute more to address these issues.

She said: “We strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, because we know that the countries might break cooperation but we cannot separate the population. The population always live together and we as representatives of the people, we are doing our best so that this living together will continue to be reality and even made better.

“We came to thank him for all the facilities that the senate has been providing to the ECOWAS Parliament to facilitate the holding of our sessions here in Abuja. We also discussed on the socio-political situation in the community. We also discussed on the ways parliamentarians can make more contributions on the various issues and the challenges that we are experiencing in ECOWAS”.

The President of the Senate,

Senator Akpabio, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Barau Jubril, commended Ibrahima’s leadership and her efforts in using parliamentary diplomacy to foster cooperation within ECOWAS, especially in light of the challenges posed by countries considering an exit from the bloc.

He noted that since Speaker Meimounatou assumed office, she has deployed enormous parliamentary diplomacy to bear not only on the level of cooperation with institutions in the region but also on those that have expressed the wish to quit the regional block.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Senator Jubril is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

He said: “Since she was elected the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, she has been up and doing in terms of giving leadership to the parliament. It is in that regard that she is here trying to chart a better course for the parliament to make sure that she brings parliamentary diplomacy to bear in terms of our cooperation not only with those who are within the community as we speak but also even those who are attempting to leave the community.

“It is in that respect that she is here, and what she is doing is commendable. She has come to strengthen her idea and initiative of making the parliament stronger and more effective”.

News

Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election

Published

6 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.

The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.

This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.

Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.

The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.

Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.

“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.

News

“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke

Published

6 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.

The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.

An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.

Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”

Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.

Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.

Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.

He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”