BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
L-R: Chairman of EMCAN, Chuks Oyema presenting a congratulatory letter to the National President of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Dr. Efegbidiki Okobia in Abuja recently. PHOTO BY CHIKA OKEKE.
The National President of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Dr. Efegbidiki Okobia has revealed that absence of independent regulatory body is responsible for the rising environmental crisis in the country.
He stated this when he received members of the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN) led by its National Chairman, Chuks Oyema in Abuja.
To address the shortfall, he noted that the association came up with Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) bill, which had suffered setback and passed through President Muhammadu Buhari for assent for more than five times.
When passed into law, IEPN bill would regulate the professional practice and boslter activities in the environment sector.
Okobia said that given the existence of independent regulatory bodies like Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) for the built sector, that such organisations are non-existent in the environment sector.
"This is the major crisis we are having in the environment sector. Everybody is a consultant but how do you certify the person that it mandated to carry out the job as a consultant.
"What the Ministry of Environment does is to certify companies as consultants. The companies have individuals that execute the projects. We are targeting the individuals because if the people doing the job are not competent, there is still a gap," he added.
Okobia hinted that the ministry of environment is against the bill and feared that it might take over their jobs, which was not the idea behind the bill.
The president enjoined EMCAN to create awareness on numerous environmental challenges in the country, saying that the major environmental gap in the Federal Capital Territory is waste management.
He lamented that the area councils are not proactive in handling both solid and liquid waste, though Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) manages waste in the city centres.
Okobia hinted that NES is setting up a research team in all its chapters across the States that would examine critical environmental issues, carryout scientific research on the issues, find out the mitigating measures and reach out to government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA's) that are responsible in managing such environmental degradation.
This, he believed would change the environmental landscape in the country, noting that the association is made up of professionals with scientific background.
The president lamented that Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) took over some assets of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) in the Niger Delta area but failed to impact on host communities.
Okobia promised to partner with EMCAN in providing any legitimate information that is related to the environment given that the association is media-friendly.
The National Secretary of NES, Mr Jonathan Adewale noted that partnering with EMCAN to create awareness would assist the government in tackling environmental crisis.
He appreciated EMCAN for the visit, adding that NES would always be willing to guide and assist in proffering solutions on environmental degradation.
Adewale assured that he would liaise with the state chapters to collaborate with EMCAN towards achieving sustainable environment for all Nigerians, assuring that within the next one month, Kwara, Nasarawa and Benue State chapters would be inaugurated.
Chairman of EMCAN, Chuks Oyema, congratulated Okobia on his election as the president of NES, just as he prayed for a successful tenure.
He requested that NES should join forces with EMCAN in order to develop the environment sector.
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