THE Senate on Tuesday, June 6, mandated its committee on environment to investigate the implementation of the Ogoni Cleanup.

Apart from investigating the Ogoni Cleanup, the committee was also asked to assess the progress of the Great Green Wall programme initiated to control desertification.

The resolutions followed a motion on “World Environment Day” sponsored by Oluremi Tinubu, chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, (Lagos Central) and members of her committee.

The federal government launched the project in June last year with initial cost of $1 billion.

Tinubu said she was worried that despite the launch of the Ogoni Cleanup Campaign, the work had not started.

Magnus Abe, a senator from Rivers State, also told the Senate that there was nothing on the ground to show that the Ogoni Cleanup was a government priority.

Abe, an Ogboni from Rivers South East, said the country should review some of its practices in the interest of environmental regeneration.

Tinubu, in her lead debate, noted that June 5, World Environment Day was set aside to create awareness for environmental issues and protection of the environment.

She said that in the light of the country’s environmental issues, such as gully erosion in Eastern Nigeria, desertification in the North and large scale environmental degradation in the oil rich South-South, illegal mining, uncontrolled and excavation of laterites, there was a need to be proactive in addressing them.

She expressed concern that unmitigated environmental issues had widespread effects on the economy, health and social wellbeing of the people.

Similarly, she expressed concern that women and children suffered more from the effects of environmental issues.

The lawmaker pointed out that school curriculum failed to teach children at a young age the impact of their actions and their civic duty to the environment and therefore, asked that Nigerian future leaders be equipped with how to deal with challenges.

Bukola Saraki, Senate president, asked the committee to look closely at Ogoni Cleanup.

—  Jun 7, 2017 @ 12:05 GMT