“Committee on Environment Recommends Resource Democracy” - Rev. Nnimmo BASSEY The committee on environment during the afternoon session deliberated on the final draft report, which was harmonised from the various reports of the sub-committees. In an interview with Rev. Nnimmo BASSEY, the chairman of the drafting committee for the final report, he said during the time the committees were not meeting, because of the World Economic Forum, a writing committee was set up to bring together all the recommendations of the various sub-committees, which have produced a consolidated report which was debated by the entire committee members. He said, the key recommendations they’ve come up with are recommendations relevant to the constitution, legal framework issues which mean some laws need to be reviewed and policies revisited. Rev. Nnimmo said one of the constitutional issues the committee looked at was that, environmental rights should be justiciable. In other words, it should not just be the objective of the state, but should be in the chapter four of the constitution among the fundamental rights of every Nigerian. He emphasised that Nigerians have tough times in obtaining environmental justice and everyone should have a stand in seeking environmental justice in the county. Under legal framework, Rev. Nnimmo noted that one of the things the committee want is that the Nigeria Standard and Regulatory Agency (NISTRA) should work on the NISTRA ACT 25 2007. The ACT should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that NISTRA has the authority to oversee the entire environmental issues in Nigeria. He said right now they are authorised to cover everything except the oil and gas sector, which has left the oil and gas sector on its own. He also said the committee recommended the strengthening of National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and a number of other policies covering the areas of natural disasters. On the issue of climate change, Rev. Nnimmo said the committee added a very strong legal framework as part of policy recommendations. He stressed that gas flaring has been illegal in Nigeria since 1984, so they emphasised that the new PIB should not contradict existing laws, but rather that gas flaring should be unambiguously outlawed. And those who continue with it should have stiffer penalties not just paying fines that are not equivalent to the commercial cost of gas, but leaders in such offending cooperation should be held personally liable for environmental harm. Nnimmo recalled from what the president said in his inaugural speech, about not using old ideas to solve new problem, he went ahead to stress that one of the innovative steps taken by the committee in the report was to recommend for resource democracy. He said that some areas in the country have experienced unsustainable exploitation of resources which have led to environmental degradation. He argued that if the people of that area are allowed to manage their own resources, they will manage their environment very well. He added that the committee was working largely on consensus and have moved from debating difficult issues to reaching consensus on so many other issues. “Environmental issues are very fundamental to the future of this nation and we should not ignore it” he added. He said no matter how power is devolved at the centre, or even if we change the nature of the federation, it will not translate into a clean nation. On the issue of oil spillage, Rev. Nnimmo added that the committee have recommended that the government should set up an Environmental Restoration Agency (ERA) and carry out an immediate audit of the state of the Nigerian environment, so that they can analyse the issues, outline them and take the required steps to clean them up. He emphasised that environmental pollutions don’t just disappear. That was the reason they recommended Environmental Restoration Agency (ERA) as an urgent replacement for Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project that was set up following the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP)’s report. Nnimmo said that the agency is not strong, adequately focused and was not responding to what the UNEP recommended. He remarked that, the country needs an Environmental Restoration Agency (ERA) that will help to restore the Niger Delta Environment and all polluted places, including the abandoned tin mines of Jos. “There are over one thousand sink holes in the tin mines of Jos that have not been remediated” he noted. In concluding, Rev. Nnimmo stressed that the environment is one thing that can unite this nation; it is a more of a political issue and not just a physical issue. He added that the gas flaring in the South adds to desertification in the North, so if we stop gas flaring in the Niger Delta, we are helping to protect the environment in the North. He said in his words “I think we should all team up, forget our differences and see that we have a common destiny and the way we’ve been working really shows this nation is united”.
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 20:05:26 +0000
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