National Assembly moves to add environment matters to concurrent legislative list

The increasing spate of environmental and natural disasters across the world is proof that climate change is not a hoax, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said.

Delivering remarks at the opening of a national stakeholders summit on the legislative framework for environmental law and policy in Abuja on Tuesday, Mr. Dogara argued that the Nigerian environment currently presents the picture of a threatened heritage hence the need to take drastic actions such as moving environmental matter from the residual legislative list to the concurrent one.

A press statement issued by his spokesperson, Turaki Hassan, quoted Mr. Dogara as saying that ”environmental change is expected to increase the likelihood and impact of extreme weather variability while the parallel and paradox of climate change continue to exacerbate the plight of many local communities in Nigeria.”

“Climate-related disasters have increased displacement and vulnerability of exposed populations. It’s like these disasters convey a brutal message to those who believe climate change is a hoax that they can only continue to ignore environmental issues at unremitting peril,” the speaker said.

“Some of the emerging national environmental concerns include depletion of biodiversity and illegal trade in wildlife. This fast-growing habitat alteration and illegal trade in wildlife products are eroding earth’s precious biodiversity, robbing mankind of our natural heritage and driving important species to the brink of extinction. It only stands to reason, that this National Summit should proffer practicable policy and legislative solutions to this menace.”

Mr. Dogara maintained that the ”leadership of the National Assembly is very conscious of the grave threats posed by such issues as global warming, climate change, ocean surge, drought/desertification, oil spillage, erosion, waste management and gas flaring, degradation of agricultural lands, soil loss, erosion, landslides, bush burning, unwarranted and uncontrolled grazing, deforestation and general environmental pollution.”

He said one of the amendments being proposed is to move environment from residual to the concurrent list to enable the Federal Parliament to legislate on it.