Environmental Management Association of Nigeria (EMAN) yesterday commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for mustering the political will to embark on Ogoni clean-up exercise.
The National President of the Association, Dr. Emmanuel Ating, gave the commendation at a news conference in Uyo, while highlighting some environmental management issues facing the country.
He said his association was delighted to hear from the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, that the Federal Government would launch the Ogoni clean-up exercise on June 2. He added that the cleanup was long overdue, going by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released in 2011.
“The leadership and entire members of EMAN are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for mustering the political will to embark on the Ogoni clean-up as recommended by UNEP.
“The action of the president is highly commendable; but as a professional body, EMAN wishes to advise that the clean-up of Ogoniland should not be politicised.
“The Federal Ministry of Environment should be transparent in all stages of the clean-up.”
He called for the engagement of skilled and experienced environmental managers in the exercise, adding that the Federal Government should not allow the project to suffer the same fate as the control of Nypa Palms (Nipa Fruitican) spread in the mangrove swamps.
“Nigeria should use the opportunity offered by the Ogoni clean-up to strive to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11) by making cities and human settlements safe, resilient and sustainable.
Ating noted that the proliferation of Nypa Palms aggravated coastal erosion and flooding as the Federal Ministry of Environment abandoned the control programme after inauguration in 2001.
The association further urged the Federal Government to convene a national forum to discuss the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. He said the forum was necessary to enable environment stakeholders know the implementation response measures initiated by the Federal Government.
According to him, there was the need for awareness creation on the Paris Agreement 2015 before the implementation by government following Article 12 of the agreement.
“Parties should cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation and access to information.”
