Buhari jets out to Senegal | Nairalaw

President Muhammadu Buhari is on his way to Dakar, Senegal, to
attend the inauguration of Senegalese President, Macky Sall,
according to a statement just released by Presidential spokesman,
Mr Femi Adesina.

The statement reads partly, “On the invitation of his host,
President Buhari, who is ECOWAS Chairman, will be Special Guest of
Honour at the ceremonies to be attended by other African leaders at
the Diamniadio Exhibition Centre on Tuesday.

“The Nigerian leader will be accompanied by Governors Mohammed
Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai and Tanko Al-Makura of Bauchi, Kaduna and
Nasarawa States respectively.

“Others on the Presidential entourage include the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama; National Security Adviser,
Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd); Director-General, National
Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai, and other top
government officials.

“The President is expected back in the country at the end of the
inauguration ceremonies.”

Minister Seeks Improved Budgetary Allocation for
Environment Sector

The Minister of Environment,
Suleiman Hassan Zarma, has appealed for improved budgetary
allocation to the environmental sector, so as to facilitate the
execution of more intervention programs and projects for diverse
ecological habitats across the country.

He noted that additional
budgetary funds will also enable the ministry carry out some of its
core mandate effectively, saying “sufficient allocation of funds to
the Ministry will help us raise the level of environmental
consciousness in the mind of Nigerians, while implementing best
global practices to address environmental issues.”

The Minister made the call while
defending the Ministry’s 2019 budget budget estimate before the
House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat, in
Abuja.

Zarma stressed that inadequate
budgetary provision is hindering the successful implementation of
key projects and ecology-preservation initiatives conceptualized by
the Ministry.

“The remediation of Hydrocarbon
impacted sites in Ogoniland, and the fixed income security issued
to finance projects that will impact the environment positively,
and also help tackle climate change, among others, have been poorly
implemented due to inadequate funds.. One can only imagine what
will happen if we get additional budgetary funds,” he
noted.

He explained that the problems of
desertification, erosion, and pollution, among others, will
continue to ravage Nigeria’s vast environment if adequate funds are
not provided to the Ministry and its agencies.

Presenting the 2019 Budget
estimate to the Committee, Suleiman Zarma, explained that the
environment pillar was hinged on three basic policy objectives that
include National Environment Management, Pollution Control, Waste
to Wealth, Industrial Oil Management and Climate Change
adaptation.

In this connection, he said, “the
2019 Budget Estimate that is before the National Assembly consists
of programmes and projects that are in line with the ERGP goals. As
a matter of fact, the Ministry is among the six line Ministries,
and its projects, which are spread across the country, are critical
to the life of the citizenry.”

He added that the Ministry’s
“2019 Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth”, if properly funded
and executed, will reposition the environment, strengthen
regulatory environment, create decent jobs and livelihoods,
increase forest cover, promote renewable energy initiatives and
above all, support the Ogoniland cleanup exercise.

Zarma, also appealed to the
Committee to passionately look at the disturbing issue of
inadequate office accommodation affecting the workings of the
ministry and its agencies, saying “almost all of us are working in
either borrowed or rented buildings”.

Responding,
the House Committee on Environment’s Chairman, Hon. Obinna Chidoka,
supported the call for the Ministry to be given better allocation
in the 2019 budget.

”The envelope
of the Ministry is too lean to enable it meaningful impact on our
environment that is highly ravaged and devastated. We must look for
ways to increase the funding of this all important sector,” he
emphasized.

Chidoka
disclosed that some experts within the sector are doing great works
to address severe problems affecting the environment, hence they
should be supported and appreciated by both Government and relevant
stakeholders.

Earlier, the Heads of Agencies
and Parastatals under the Federal Ministry, while making their
presentations bemoaned the lean budgets they got in the past,
soliciting the lawmakers’ intervention to remedy the ugly
situation. (END)

(Signed)

Saghir el
Mohammed

Director Press

Federal Ministry of
Environment