The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ecological

  • People use ecological issues to make money – Reps chair

    People use ecological issues to make money – Reps chair

    • Vows to ensure proper need assessment for ecological funds releases

    Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Funds, Hon. Aminu Jaji has said that henceforth, the House will carry out proper need assessment before funds are released for ecological projects in the country.

    Jaji who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the committee regretted that people are using the issue of ecological projects to make money for themselves against the overall interest of the Nigerian people.

    He said currently, the committee has more than 50 requests from members seeking to address ecological challenges in their States.

     “As a Committee, we have to stop this. We have to carry out a need assessment ourselves across the 36 States of the federation before funds can be disbursed for it. We’ll ensure that the narrative is changed,” Jaji said.

     He assured that the Committee will not only carry out its usual oversight function diligently but will ensure the system is properly sanitised.

    While urging the Committee to focus on how to address the ecological challenges like desertification in the North, and erosion in the South- East among others in different parts of the country, Jaji said members must come up with innovation to tackle ecological challenges in the country.

    Read Also: FG to open up 28 States for water transportation

    Member of the committee, Julius Pondi who also chairs the Committee on Environment while commending the leadership for selecting some technocrat to be part of the Ecological Funds Committee, advised that if only the chairman can be firm in his decisions, the Committee will achieve its desired result.

    Meanwhile, the House Committee on Science and Technology has said it would monitor and ensure the proper utilisation of funds from international partners and other donor agencies for the development of science and technology in the country.

    Chairman of the committee, Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the committee said “Our committee will assess intervention needs and the utilisation of funds from international partners, donor agencies, and grantees in the STI sector.”

     We will work to ensure improved utilization of grants for the sector’s benefit”

    Bagos said, “We will engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, agencies under the ministry, and Nigerian experts in STI living in the diaspora. These sessions will help us identify areas of legislative intervention and enhance our oversight functions.

    “Through oversight visits, we will ascertain compliance and implementation levels of the 2023 Appropriation Act, ensuring prudent utilization of resources allocated to the ministry and its agencies.”

  • Govt to tackle ecological challenges

    The Federal Government  said it is committed to tackling the myriads of ecological challenges facing many states in the country.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who made the pledge in Umuahia, Abia State, at the inauguration of a completed Erosion and Flood Control project at Ukwudara-Amachara in Umuahia South Local Government Area, said that the federal government is determined to reposition the country to ensure equity, justice and fair play.

    “The present administration is committed to reposition and steer the ship of the nation back to the path of prosperity and sustainable development.”

    He said the conception and timely completion of the Ukwudara-Amachara erosion and flood control project was in line with the administration’s promise to meet the people’s needs.

    The minister expressed the hope that the project would enhance the standard of living of the people of the area.

    Lokpobiri noted that the intervention would help to check the risk to life and property posed by erosion and persistent flooding in the community.

    He urged the people of the community to take up the responsibility of maintaining the project in order to ensure its sustainability.

    He charged them to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the drains built to channel rain water out of the road.

    In his speech, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu thanked the federal government for its intervention, saying that the measure would help to preserve the environment from further degradation.

    Ikpeazu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, said the state was ravaged by erosion and flooding.

    According to him, the phenomenon poses serious threat to farming and agriculture.

    “With this control measure, our soil nutrients would be preserved and agriculture would thrive,” the governor said.

    In his remarks, Chief Sam Onuigbo (PDP), representing Umuahia/Ikwuano Federal Constituency, expressed joy over the successful completion of the project.

    Onuigbo thanked the Federal Government for its intervention and hoped that the Okwe-Obuohia erosion control project, which was ongoing, would be completed in record time.

    He said that there were over 40 massive erosion sites within his constituency and appealed to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state.

    The traditional ruler of the community, Eze Akpunku Ihuwa, and the President-General of the area, Mr Sunday Andrew, expressed delight over the successful completion of the project.

    They appealed to the government to ensure the completion of the community road which, according to them, was awarded to the Niger Delta Development Commission.

  • 19 states, Abuja may get N2b ecological fund

    19 states, Abuja may get N2b ecological fund

    A proposal for 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to get N2billion each as ecological fund will be decided upon at next month’s National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

    NEC is the official economic platform for dialogue among the 36 governors, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and other members.

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai told reporters at the end of yesterday’s NEC meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo that the fund disbursement is part of recommendations of his committee’s interim report submitted to the.

    He said the recommendation would ensure fairness to states that were not given anything when former President Goodluck Jonathan shared N2 billion each to People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled states from the ecological fund.

    According to him, his 11-man committee would submit the final report during the NEC meeting in June.

    He said: “The committee established beyond all doubts that in 2013, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan gave N2 billion to certain states of the federation but excluded other states.

    “The states that got it were all PDP states and states of other parties that were sympathetic to the PDP like Labour Party in Ondo and APGA in Anambra State. Nineteen states and the FCT did not get the N2 billion from the Ecological Fund.

    “These states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara and Lagos.

    “Others are Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory

    “So essentially, what President Goodluck Jonathan did was to take N2 billion each from the Ecological fund and give to some PDP states. Any PDP state that was not his friend like Kano and Kwara didn’t get. And all the other opposition parties, like Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)  and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) got anything.”

    According to him, there is a Presidential directive that the Ecological Fund office must maintain a balance of N20 billion of the present N33.6 billion in the fund.

    This, he said, is to cater for any emergency or any natural disaster requiring intervention.

    From the total money in the fund, he said the balance of about N13 billion will be available for distribution to the states that were discriminated against.

    Bauchi Governor Mohammed Abubakar said the council received the report of an ad-hoc committee to study the report of the Presidential Technical Committee on the Land Use Act regulations.

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha added that the council also reviewed many issues concerning money.

    Okorocha said members of the council were impressed by the way Osinbajo was handling the affairs of the country.

    He said: “We were made to understand from the office of the Accountant General that the excess crude account as at May 24th stands at $2.3 billion. Council also reviewed the discrepancies in figures and we have said that the Accountant General will go and look at it and at the next meeting, he will brief the council appropriately.

    “As regards the loan support, what is called the budget support facility for states, which is supposed to come to an end by the end of this month, council was concerned about the fact that we are gradually coming out of recession and if this budgetary support ceases at the end of May, it might create some lapses in our bid to stabilise the economy. So, council resolved that the budgetarysupport be extended to enable states catch up with the economic challenges of the moment.

    “The good news is that we have been reliably informed that crude  production at Forcados Terminal will soon commence and this will   help the  economy and the stabilisation of the economy and for us to get out of recession as quickly as possible.

    “But the highlight of the whole discussion today’s was a special commendation that the Council made on the Acting President, who we have all resolved to call a systems stabiliser given the fact that Mr. President is on medical vacation. The system is still as smooth as it has always been. So, we commended the Acting President for a job well done.”

    He maintained that the Paris Club refund was not free money, but money owed state governments.

  • British Ecological Society Grants in Africa, 2015

    Applications are invited for British Ecological Society grants from ecologists in Africa to carry out innovative ecological research. The maximum value of a grant is £8,000 for research. An additional sum up to £2,000 may be requested to fund travel to help grantees develop connections with other ecologists outside their usual peer group. Travel funds are available for the applicant to spend time working with ecologists in developed countries where facilities and experience will help the grantee on return to their own institution. Successful applicants also receive two years of free BES membership and free online access to the Society’s journals. The grant can be used to pay for basic tools needed to conduct the research project, travel and in some cases part of the applicant’s salary. It cannot be used for tuition fees.

    The application deadline is 11 September, 2015.

    Study Subject: Funding is available for any area of ecological science excluding research focused solely on agriculture, forestry and bioprospecting. Please note that neither purely descriptive work nor studies that might be considered incremental will be funded.

    Course Level: Grant provides support for ecologists in Africa to carry out innovative ecological research.

    Eligibility: Applicants must:

    • have at least an MSc or equivalent degree
    • be working for a university or research institution in Africa (including field centres, NGOs, museums etc.) that provides basic research facilities
    • carry out the research in a country in Africa or its associated islands
    • The proposed work must be completed within 18 months

    Scholarship Description: This grant provides support for ecologists in Africa to carry out innovative ecological research.

    Selection Criteria: The applications will be judged by a panel of reviewers on the basis of the applicant’s personal qualifications, the scientific excellence, novelty and feasibility of the proposal, and the academic and non-academic impact of the planned research. Applicants need to demonstrate that they have made connections with ecologists in a developed country that can provide advice during the proposed project. If international travel is part of the application, applicants must demonstrate close links with those they propose to visit.

    Notification: University aims to notify applicants if they have been successful or not within two months of the deadline.

    How to Apply:

    • Applications will only be assessed once the online referee statement of support has been received from the applicant’s institution, and if applying for travel funds, from the overseas host institution. This referee statement should include why the project is important, what support will be given to the applicant and a statement that any equipment bought for the project will be made available for anyone in the host institution to conduct ecological research. We will automatically contact the referees using the email addresses provided in the application; both reference statements must be completed online before the application deadline. We cannot accept referee statements sent independently via email or by letter.
    • Applications for this grant must be made using the BES online application form. Important: Only complete questions 3, 3a and 3b if you are requesting additional travel funds.

    Application Form: http://www.britishecologicalsocietygrants.org/Africa/images/logo.gif

     

  • Ayade hails Buhari on response to ecological problems

    Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade yesterday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for swinging into action immediately after receiving a letter of plea for help following the menace of erosion that is devastating most parts of the state.

    Ayade, who personally handed over the letter to the President in Abuja, said he was impressed that barely two weeks after, the President had sent a team to the state to evaluate the challenge.

    The governor spoke during the presentation of the preliminary report by a team of experts led by the Deputy Director, Ecological Fund Office at the Presidency, Engr Funsho Adebiyi after five days of assessment tour of ecological sites, especially erosion ravaged areas in the state.

    “This response shows that he is not only a true democrat but an action President,” the governor stated, adding: “This clearly shows that irrespective of party lines, the President has demonstrated that he is today the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by sending this team few days after my discussion with him.”

    The governor charged the team to go beyond writing the report by actually implementing the recommendations, or the whole state will become a disaster area.

    He thanked the team for painstakingly undertaking a comprehensive tour of all ecological related issues ranging from coastal areas, landslides, under water current, dams, gullies and erosion sites across the state.

    According to Ayade who enumerated some of the ecological effects on the citizenry explained that: “This is having an organic incursion into the anthology, sociology and orientation of our people and if this is not handled properly, we are going to have a very big environmental cataclysm in our hands.

    “The ecological problem is beyond the financial capacity of the state as pupils have been disrupted from schools and they are really devastating and if they are not handled urgently, the village system will be wiped out, life span shortened, and there will be no hope for tomorrow. This calls for prompt action from the Federal government.

     

    “Erosion is a direct consequence of climate change which is now a global phenomenon and whoever that sits on ecological fund will know that the situation is critical and requires urgent intervention to address them permanently. It is my hope that as you return to Abuja you will present real situation as you saw them.

    These are things that have gone beyond the economy and capacity of the state government. Our internally generated revenue is so insignificant that we cannot even pay our salaries. With this kind of problem, if we don’t cry to the President then we are in a big trouble.”

    Earlier, Engr Adebiyi disclosed that the team had visited over 15 critical areas across the state, adding that all the places inspected needed urgent attention.

  • Ecological Office gets Reps’ ultimatum on N3.1b project

    Ecological Office gets Reps’ ultimatum on N3.1b project

    THE Ecological Funds Office was given an ultimatum yesterday by the House of Representatives Committee on Environment to complete the N3.1 billion Nanka/Oko landslide erosion project in Anambra State.

    Committee chairman Uche Ekwunife gave the Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund Office, Goni Sheikh, 21days to address the Nanka/Oko erosion problem.

    She spoke at an investigative hearing, which the committee said was based on several petitions sent by the affected communities.

    A breakdown of the money drawn from the Ecological Fund showed that N2 billion was released to Anambra State, which the committee said was yet to be justified.

    About N1.1 billion was also released for the phase 1 of the Nanka/Oko landslide project.

    The lawmaker expressed concern about the poor implementation and incompetence of the project’s contractor and the delay in its completion.

    The project was awarded to Rhino Maritime Services & Construction Company since 2011 at  N1.1 billion with a 12-month completion period.

    According to her,  N727,240,481.95 had been spent on the project, with a balance of N384,216,100.58, without a commensurate result.

    She added that almost a year after the committee went to the site with officials of the Ecological Fund Office, “nothing has been done.”

    Mrs. Ekwunife said: “There is the need to change the approach to the challenge as situation on the Oko side of the project has deteriorated so badly that “the people will be wiped out if something is not done fast.

    “The Nanka erosion is an emergency. So, the ecological office must do all it can to ensure that the issue is sorted out. In my own opinion, the contractor is not competent. You have to address us to tell us if the contractor handling it is capable. The consultant also is not professional.”

    The committee noted that one of the areas threatened by erosion is the residence of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme.

    The committee also requested for details on the additional N2 billion given to  Anambra State for the Nanka/Oko erosion project.

    But the permanent secretary said there was need for him to consult on the status of the N2 billion.

    He, however, lamented the scourge of erosion in the South-South and deforestation of the Northern region, calling for deliberate action in checking the activities of tipper operators, who excavate sand from the Nanka-Oko areas of Anambra and other parts of the country.

     “They (tipper operators) have become so strong like the mafia, as they mounted sand excavating machines,” he said.

    On if the amount paid so far to the contractor was commensurate with the work done, Goni answered in the affirmative, saying the money paid so far was based on the certificate raised.

    Ekwunife said at a meeting held with minister of Environment, the secretary, contractor, consultant and representatives of the host communities, the committee recommended “the need to provide a revised engineering design that will adequately address the challenges of this particular site.”

  • Reps call for minister’s sack over N396b Ecological Fund shortfall

    Reps call for minister’s sack over N396b Ecological Fund shortfall

    •House report exposes irregularities in Fund management

    Tempers flared yesterday at a proposed hearing by the Uche Ekwunife-led House Committee on Environment as the members agreed that the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Hadiza Mailafia, should be sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Ms Mailafia’s absence yesterday stalled investigations into the shortfall of almost N400 billion in the Ecological Fund deductions.

    The committee, which was to have conducted a hearing on the operation of the Ecological Fund, postponed the hearing following the minister’s absence.

    Members of the committee said Ms Mailafia has no passion for the work and that there is an apparent disconnect between her and the work she was meant to be doing.

    A member of the committee, Mohammed Abdulahi Shamsidin (Kaduna), who made the suggestion, was supported by the committee members.

    He said: “The President has appointed these people to work with him.

    “The Minister of Environment has no passion for the environment and there is a disconnect between her and the work she was chosen for.

    “I would suggest that she should try her luck else where. We should call on the President to find someone else who is not only interested in the job, but has the competence as well as the love for Nigeria.”

    The committee also flayed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) , Anyim Pius Anyim, for his absence at the investigative session which was meant to conclude work the committee started last year.

    Yesterday’s investigative session was stimulated by an interim report , which exposed almost N400billion shortfall in the deductions from the Ecological Fund.

    According to the report obtained by The Nation, there were illegal transfers and loans from the Ecological Fund without appropriation from the National Assembly.

    The report reads: “The Statement of Affairs presented by the Accountant General indicates that 1.46 per cent was used in calculating inflows into the fund from January to December 2003.

    “This, according to the statement, was later reviewed downward to one per cent from January 2004 to June 2012, in complete violation of the provision of the Federation Account Act, which provides for two percent.

    “For instance, the total inflow into the Ecological Fund account between January 2003 and February 2012 was N322, 165, 322,070.86 after the deduction of N20,123,084,858.03 for debt servicing.

    “This one per cent used by the Accountant-General of the Federation for the computation of the inflows into the Fund from January 2004 to June this year was contrary to the two percent specified in the Act.

    “This, therefore, resulted in the understatement of the figure , N302,358,388,317.81.”

    The report also said: “N93, 768,951,164.22 was transferred from the Ecological Fund Account to Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) and the Federation Account.”

    According to the report, the transfers were said “to have funded the acceleration of capital budget advances to states and local governments to meet shortfalls and funding of 2009 as well as Third Quarter Development Funds Warrant etc.”

    The House report said of the amount, only N50 billion was paid back leaving a shortfall of N43.7 billion.

    “The submissions under review also indicated that a loan of N60.75billion was taken from the Ecological Fund Account by both the federal and state governments for purposes not related to ecological problems.”

    Of this loan, only N30.5 billion was repaid, the report states.

    “ Some direct payments were made to ministries and agencies. There were also deductions of N20, 123,084,858.03 for debt servicing.”