The Senate on Tuesday directed its standing committee on environment to probe the implementation of the celebrated Ogoni Cleanup exercise, which would gulp $1 billion.
Also, the Upper chamber mandated the same committee to also investigate the Ogoni Cleanup and assess the progress of the Great Green Wall programme initiated to control desertification.
The Senate’s decision was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) on: “World Environment Day.”
Leading debate on the motion, Tinubu expressed worry that in spite of the launch of the Ogoni Cleanup Campaign, it does not appear that work has commenced in the area.
She noted that June 5 is World Environment Day, set aside to create awareness for environmental issues and protection of the environment, adding that the theme for this year’s celebration is: “Connecting People to Nature.”
It was in celebration of nature’s beauty and man’s dependence on nature for his wellbeing.
The lawmaker observed that the Sustainable Development Goals include ensuring clean water and sustainable hygiene, sustainable urban development, sustainable consumption through increased use of natural resources and reduction of toxic materials, combating climate change and its adverse effects, conservation of aquatic resources and preservation of terrestrial biodiversity.
Tinubu insisted that in the light of the country’s environmental issues such as gully erosion in Eastern Nigeria, desertification in the North and large scale environmental degradation in the oil rich South-South, illegal mining, uncontrolled and excavation of laterites, there is a need for the country to be proactive in addressing its environmental issues.
After exhaustive debate on the motion, the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, asked the committee to look closely at the issue of the Ogoni Cleanup.