Senate Asks FG to Increase Funding for Environment

By Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Senate Wednesday passed a motion urging the federal government to increase funding for the environment and environmental issues.

This was as a result of a motion sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) and seven other senators to mark this year’s World Environment Day.

The sponsors of the motion expressed concern that the nation is plagued with desertification in the north, flooding and erosion in almost all the states, gully erosion in the South-east, oil spill incidents in the Niger Delta and soot in Port Harcourt.

The Senate  therefore submitted that with this environmental challenges “our budget, environmental policies and actions seem as if we are not doing enough”.

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Environment and relevant agencies to ensure sensitisation, particularly of young ones, on environmental issues.

Other resolutions of the Senate on the environment include the need to enact and enforce legislation on adequate waste disposal and recyclying system, and the introduction of eco-friendly  reusable bags.

The Senate also urged all the 36 states  of the federation to participate in the creation and review of policies and shedding light on all environmental issues.

While expressing concern about people’s excessive reliance on single use bags and disposable plastics, the lawmakers further canvassed for increase in tax payable on single use plastic bags and bottles with a view to discourage use.

“Senate is aware that to reduce waste from plastic pollution, several countries  including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia have introduced measures including increase in tax payable on single use bags and plastic, payment for these bags, consumer education and retailer take-back programmes”.

Also Wednesday, the Senate called on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to immediately intervene in the rainstorm/windstorm and fire outbreak in Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

It called on NEMA to provide relief materials to the victims of the disaster “in order to assist them in rebuilding their lives, houses, shops and businesses”.

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) had moved a motion on the need to provide urgent relief materials to the victims of rainstorm/windstorm and fire outbreak in the council of Kebbi State and was unanimously supported by other senators.