STIFFER MEASURES AGAINST OIL SPILL AND OTHER HAZARDS -FG

The Federal Government is to come up with effective legislations to tackle the problems of oil spill and other environmental degradation activities by organizations and individuals in the country.

The developing national legislations will spell out the liabilities, response actions and compensations for damages caused by activities to the environment in very clear terms.

Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey made this known in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday while addressing his colleagues from all over the world at the 25 th Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Minister, who led delegates from multi-sectoral organizations in Nigeria to the meeting, noted that the time had come for stringent measures to be taken in order to ensure the protection of the Environment and as well as means of livelihood of the people particularly those in the Niger-Delta area.

“As I speak, environmental degradation, climate change, global economic downturn, food and energy crises are the multiple challenges staring at us in the face. Environmental degradation has been worsened by the vagaries of climate change. Of more concern to us should be the fact that these challenges if not tackled head-on could weaken our efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“Oil spillage poses very serious environmental problems in Nigeria. Aside from the un-ending threats to the marine or aquatic lives in that area, the means of livelihood of the people has been drastically endangered.

“In an effort to addressing these problems, the Nigerian Government is developing a national legislation on liability, response action and compensation for damages caused by activities dangerous to the environment, in line with UNEP draft guidelines.”

The Minister told the meeting that Nigeria was in full support of the Global Green Economy Initiative (the Global Green New Deal) which seeks to reduce environmental degradation while still opening up economic development through creation of millions of new jobs and improvement of the livelihoods of the poor masses.

The Green Economy Initiative will channel investments into dynamic economic sectors with consequent gains in conservation of critical ecological resources such as water, quality land and forest resource.

“Nigeria supports the initiative on the green economy as it presents opportunities for diversification of our economy that is dependent on oil.

“Nigeria’s Environmental governance policy initiative on green economy is focused on new investments in renewable energies, clean technologies and sustainable food production.

“Nigeria advocates that support should be given to the global ‘green economy’’ for the realisation of renewable energy and clean technologies on recycling, sustained biomass production, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem infrastructure, reduced greenhouse gases emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.”

In addition, the Minister also urged his colleagues to form working partnership that would see both the developed and the developing nations of the world work together in a symbiotic manner to realise the goal of the global green economy initiative.

“The situation in the developing countries, especially African states, has worsened owing to lack of access to technology and inadequate financial resources to enable appropriate remedial measures. In Nigeria, we are faced with some environmental challenges like desertification, deforestation and erosion. We need more technological support and relevant partnerships to address the problems.

“As a pre-requisite for the realisation of the goal for implementing the global green economy, it is important that relevant technical partnerships are formed in view of the weak financial circumstances of most of the developing countries.”

He stated that Nigeria would continue to avail the opportunities of her chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China to advance the interest of the group in all aspects concerning various international collaborations on the environment.

The Minister said further, “Nigeria will continue to play the leadership role to enhance decisions taken by the ad-hoc Working Group on mercury and the issue of chemicals management.

“Nigeria is in full support of the clarion call for a legally binding instrument that will address the long term challenges posed by mercury, in particular as it relates to trade. Nigeria voluntarily joined the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership program as a demonstration for her support to the program which is committed to protecting human health and the global environment from the release of mercury and its compounds.”

The UNEP meeting is being held in order to form stronger multi-lateral position to tackle the problem of Climate Change and other Environmental problems. 66 Countries and major environmental groups as well as stakeholders are attending the meeting.