Adewole Martins
Jail term awaits those aggravating the cause of climate change in Delta State.
The state government on Tuesday, in company with the Executive Director of R20, Christophe Nuttal, the R20 Climate Financial Consultant; and Dennis Welsh structured the proposed plan.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State said the prosecution of those not supporting moves to check climate change, was one of the proper legal structures put in place to sustain the drive towards reducing the effects of climate change.
At the stakeholders forum on Territorial Approach To Climate Change, with the theme: “Delta Beyond Oil-Opportunities In Climate Change”, held in Asaba, the state capital, led by the Governor’s Coordinator and Communications Manager on Green Economy, Paul Odili; the Director-General of the Nigeria Metrological Agency, represented by Kingsley Osawaru; the Director-General of NESREA, Dr Ngere Benebo; Prof. Rosemary Okon; Chief Newton Jibunor; Dr. Felicia Adun; and traditional rulers, the passion towards reducing the effects of climate change was harped upon.
Governor Uduaghan, who acknowledged that putting up proper legal structures would ensure that government would be properly guided to continue with efforts to make the environment friendly, explained that the law was geared at providing a legal structure necessary for the state and its people to key into the Green Economy Initiatives of international agencies.
He added that it would enable the state access funds from international agencies to develop quick-win projects to reduce the effect of climate change on Deltans.
While he said individual attitudes contribute adversely to the degradation of the environment, he disclosed that those recently arrested for defacing the newly constructed roads and walkways would be charged to court.
He said: “We have to help ourselves when it comes to dealing with issues of climate change.
“It breaks my heart when people cut down trees.
“We should as much as possible try to preserve the trees as they do more for the environment that just provide shades.”
He urged the people of the state to be conscious of those things they take for granted and desist from clogging the drains with refuse.
He used the occasion to observe that though the 2012 flood disaster was devastating, it was a blessing in disguise as it has created awareness that climate change is real and all hands must be on deck to stop further degradation of the environment.
Governor Uduaghan, who explained that the state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme a few years back, said that his administration was looking at ways of improving the living standard of the people of the state.
He explained that discussions were on with energy giant, Philips, to set-up factories in the state to produce energy-saving bulbs and other items and create employment for the people of the state.
Nuttal, however, lauded the oil rich state for being the arrowhead and the regional headquarters of R20 in Africa.
He disclosed that the stakeholders’ forum would provide a blueprint that will enable investors from all over the world to invest in the Delta State green economy, promising to work with the state’s climate change team to achieve the objective.
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