Lawmaker makes case for creation of climate change council

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Sam Onuigbo, has faulted calls from some quarters against the creation of a separate and parallel National Climate Change Council.  He said the establishment of such body would not amount to a duplication of functions already being carried out by an existing agency.  The lawmaker who […]

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Sam Onuigbo, has faulted calls from some quarters against the creation of a separate and parallel National Climate Change Council. 

He said the establishment of such body would not amount to a duplication of functions already being carried out by an existing agency. 

The lawmaker who stated this on the occasion of Ikwuano stakeholders meeting held at Obuohia Obi-Ibere, Abia State, said when the bill is assented to, it will among other things ensure that Nigeria meets her international climate change obligations, including sustainable development, international treaties and agreement under the United Nations frame work convention on climate change. 

Onuigbo disclosed that the bill seeks to ensure that Nigeria pursues sustainable economic development and growth that foster availability of clean energy, while also ensuring that strategic climate change responses would be consistent with national development priorities, in conformity with the stipulations of the constitution.  

 He explained that  unlike the existing meteorological agency,  when the bill on climate change is passed into law, and the national climate change council is formed, aside from the roles played by the agency,  “The existing agency doesn’t get involved in receiving the outcomes and dispatching these outcomes to the people who are concerned in decision making. 

“Nobody gets involved in that, they don’t get involved in erosion control and other areas of climate change, how can we now domicile climate change activities in metrological agency,” he said. 

He said: “How far has NiMet brought the devastating effects of climate change to the knowledge of the masses? How far have they gone to take actions? The bill is about mainstreaming actions and responses into national development, that’s what the bill is all about.”

According to him, when the bill is passed into law, it has the potential to raise how much to be spent on climate change annually and also create an environment where climate change would be understood in over eight ministries. The national climate change council, if established, will be chaired by the Vice President, he added.