Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (l) Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed and Minister of State for Environment, Mr Usman Jibril when the Minister visited the Governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday
Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike has cautioned against the politicisation of the process leading to the implementation of the UNEP report for positive results to be achieved.
Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday when he granted audience to the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed and her team, Wike said that issues of the environment are beyond political affiliation since they affect everyone.
“I just want to advise that the Minister and her team are cautious while handling issues concerning the implementation of the UNEP report, especially the stakeholders who will meet on environmental issues”.
The governor said because of the negative impact of the environmental challenges on the communities, any attempt to politicise the process will affect the eventual outcome.
Speaking further, the governor regretted that most of the environmental degradation in Ogoni land and other Niger Delta communities emanated from the delay by multinationals to take immediate remedial measures after oil pollution.
He added that rather than tackle environmental challenges in Niger Delta, most multinationals engaged in needless divide and rule tactics to perpetually deny the communities of their benefits.
He assured the Federal Government of the support of the Rivers State Government to ensure the implementation of the UNEP report and other programmes to address environmental challenges of the Niger Delta.
Earlier, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed said that she was in the state to commence the process for the implementation of the UNEP report and other environmental challenges in the area.
She said that the process for the implementation of the UNEP report will be launched in the coming weeks, adding that, her team visited Rivers state first because the struggle to clean up the Niger Delta started in the state.
The Minister of Environment said that she will be meeting with stakeholders from all walks of life to assist the government in tackling the environmental challenges.
She said after the launch, the implementation of the recommendations of the report will commence.
The Minister of Environment was accompanied by the Minister of State for Environment, Mr Usman Jibril and Chief Executives of key parastatals linked to the implementation of the UNEP report.
Wike warns against playing politics with implementation of UNEP Report
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