FG Seeks Partnership With States, Stakeholders on Ecological Crisis

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Federal Government has sought for partnership with State governments and stakeholders in addressing ecological crisis across the country.
This was even as the government promised to work assiduously towards fulfilling its mandate.
The Permanent Secretary of Ecological Project Office (EPO) Malam Shehu Ibrahim stated this on Thursday while receiving the Commissioner for Environment, Cross River State, Hon Moses Osogi in Abuja.
Ibrahim disclosed that partnership is crucial in resolving common issues, pledging to partner with relevant stakeholders in tackling ecological issues.
He advised that requests made for intervention should always indicate specific areas so as to enable the office align them with its mandate for Mr President’s approvals.
Responding, Hon Osogi hinted that it is important to form a synergy with the Federal Government through EPO, as Cross River has over 50 percent of forestry reserves in the country including vast areas of tropical high forest, montane forest, savannas and saltwater swamps.
He lamented that residents in the state are usually threatened whenever Cameroon releases water from Lagdo dam, adding that Cross River is one of the states that suffers from devastating effect of flooding.
Osogi appealed for urgent intervention as the state is suffering from annual flooding.
The permanent secretary also received the Provost of the College of Education (Special) Oyo State, Prof. Usman Kamoru.
He stated that educational institutions were also considered in government’s intervention programmes, just as he advised the provost to prioritise the school’s area of intervention.
Ibrahim noted that EPO has over 4,000 requests in its data bank, which would require huge resources to address.
He assured that the government would do its best within the available resources to tackle the menace.
Prof Kamoru sought for speedy intervention in remediating erosion at the institute, explaining that erosion worsened following the breakdown of a dam near the school as a result of heavy rainfall.
He said that several efforts were made by the school to remedy the situation, hence the need for the Federal Government’s intervention.