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FG restates commitment to tackling environmental degradation

The Federal Government says it will continue to deal with the numerous challenges posed by environmental degradation and biodiversity loss resulting from deforestation, desertification, land and ecosystem degradation.
The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, restated government’ s commitment to dealing with the problems, during the 2021 World Environment Day celebration on Saturday in Osogbo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for this year’s celebration is “Ecosystem Restoration: Resetting Our Relation with Nature.”
Abubakar said that government, being conscious of the alarming rate of deforestation standing at between 3.7 and 4.0 per cent, had continued to engage stakeholders locally and internationally on the issue.
The minister said this was in addition to the formulation of enabling policies and legislations aimed to bring the situation under control.
He said government had also begun execution of nature-based programmes and projects to address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, in view of their multiple benefits.
He said: “Setting the pace, the Federal Government has made some efforts at all levels of governance to promote resilient environmental sustainability in the context of national development.
“At the just concluded National Council on Environment, the issue of Nature Based Solution was at the front burner.
“This came as a result of the renewed awareness on its cost effectiveness in the long-term management of ecosystem crises and its potential contribution to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
“It is also expected to facilitate the national and global targets, including the 2030 development agenda in which Nigeria is already making steady progress.
He said that the federal government submitted its NDC interim report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) few days ago.
According to him, the move was part of government’s practical demonstration of its commitment to the Paris Agreement on global action on climate crisis.
“This action underscores our determination to achieve the commitment we signed in 2015 to reduce Nigeria’s carbon emissions unconditionally by 20 per cent and 45 per cent conditionally with international support by 2030,” he stated.
Abubakar said the ministry had made tremendous efforts to enhance effective and far-reaching actions to tackle deforestation, drought, desertification, climate change and reduce their impacts on the citizenry.
The minister said this was done through development of policies and building of institutional and legislative capacity.
In his remarks, Gov. Gboyega Oyetola said the state would continue to complement the efforts of the federal government towards meeting the country’s environmental challenges.
He said the state would do this through safeguarding the environment and also establishing enabling laws that would be of great benefits to the citizenry.
Oyetola commended the federal government for its choice of Osun to celebrate this year’s World Environment Day.
Also, the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation in the state, Mr Sola Oladejo , commended the federal government for its numerous environmental intervention programmes in the state. (NAN)
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PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
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