By Emeka Nwokocha
Executive Director of Environmental and Rural Mediation Centre (ENVIRUMEDIC), Chief Monday Itoghor, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Dr. Salisu Dahiru as Director General of the National Council on climate change.
Chief Itoghor made the commendation on Wednesday, in Warri, while speaking to journalists on the importance of the National Council on Climate Change in combating climate change and migrate Nigeria to green economy.
His words, “I appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Climate Change Bill into law and subsequently appointed a Director General to run the affairs of the National Council on climate change. This is happening when Civil Society Orgaanisations’ call for the implementation of the Climate Change Act was gaining serious momentum. It is a good development in the right direction.
Going forward, I would want to see the full body of the Council come on stream without further delay. When that is quickly done, we will be assured that the government is in the right direction to combating climate change. However, the President’s action should not stop at appointing the DG, he should take further decisive step to make the Council function optimally by making adequate fund available for the smooth operations of the Council.
He said, “with this development, the Council is now confronted with the task of ensuring the country achieves net-zero emissions by 2060 as promised by President Buhari at the United Nations climate change conference – COP26 — in Glasgow last year.”
Continuing, Chief Itoghor noted that the effect of climate change is getting serious, adding that global temperature has been on the rise in recent times.
He expressed the need for a collective action to combat the scourge and reduce global temperature to 1.5 degree Celcius, being the goal of the international treaty on climate change.
Fielding questions from journalists, Itoghor said, “the task of combating climate change may not be the sole responsibility of the National Council on Climate Change.” He charged the DG to collaborate with CSOs, NGOs, and the private sector to galvanize a formidable support to tackling climate change.
On what his organisation would do to complement the government’s efforts to combating climate change, Chief Itoghor said, “the appointment of the DG of the National Council on climate change will not stifle the CSO’s commitment to action to mitigate the impact of climate change, saying his organisation, ENVIRUMEDIC would strengthen collaborations with other non-state actors to deepen advocacies and raising awareness about the harsh impacts of climate change and the compelling need to combat it decisively to protect the environment from global warming.
