Rep Onuigbo Commends NASS, Stakeholders Over Climate Change Bill

Rep. Sam Onuigbo, (FCIS, FNIM) the member representing Ikwuano/ Umuahia Federal Constituency has lamented that the negative impacts of Climate Change has, unequivocally thrown the Nigeria nation and the entire world in general, into out-and-out insecurity.

Among the negative impacts, Rep. Onuigbo outlined were drought, coastal and gully erosion, health challenges, desertification “with the attendant food shortages and forced migration”, he noted.

The Legislator who is also the Chairman of Climate Parliament, Nigeria regretted that the present gory situation ought to be salvaged urgently so as to avert envisaged pandemonium in the country and indeed the world.

The ebullient Lawmaker stated this during the Passage Of Climate Change Bill by the House Of Representatives, stressing that further hesitation towards reducing the volume of Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere, would result in downright termination of the world in a fraction of decades.

Hear him: “Nigeria and the rest of the world face a huge existential challenge due to the impacts of Climate Change such as drought, coastal and gully erosion, health challenges, desertification with the attendant food shortages and forced migration that has led to insecurity, etc. As experts have said, the situation is so bad that if urgent actions are not taken to reduce the volume of Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere, the world as we know it will be completely destroyed in a matter of decades.”

Rep. Onuigbo explained that his motivation to sponsor the Climate Change Bill in the 8th Assembly was predicated upon the envisioned jeopardy that would undoubtedly pose by Climate Change, pointing out that the Bill is to ensure that Nigeria has a legal framework that will help guide her efforts at Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.

Speaking, he said, “although the Bill was passed by NASS and duly transmitted to the President, he declined assent due to a number of reasons.

“Still, it is important that Nigeria has a Climate Change law. In the 9th Assembly, with this clear conviction, I reviewed the Bill and re-sponsored it. There was however the need to ensure that attention was paid to those parts of the Bill that gave Mr. President concern. To be able to do this, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, adopted a coordinated and collaborative approach, which involved the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Honourable Abubakar Malami SAN, and the Ministry of Environment”, he noted.

According to him, the Ministries nominated representatives to join the Joint Review Committee “to work with me, to address the issues raised by Mr. President, while also making the Bill more robust and futuristic. We went to work and came up with a reviewed copy of the Bill”, he added.

He, however, expressed immense joy, as well as gratitude to the the leadership and members of the National Assembly, as the report, he said, was on July 6, 2021, during plenary considered and adopted, as the Bill was subsequently passed as a by the House on July 8,2021.

“I am happy that on Tuesday, July 6,2021, during plenary at the House of Representatives, our report was considered and adopted. Furthermore, today, July 8, 2021, the Bill was passed by the House. It will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.

“I am really grateful to the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, the leadership and members of the National Assembly, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and his staff for working relentlessly on this, the Honourable Minister of Justice, the Minister of Environment and the Minister of State for Environment, for the support and leadership they have shown. In the same vein, I thank the Ministry of Environment for not only sending representatives to help with the work, but also for setting up a Legal Working Group whose inputs have been incorporated into the Bill.

“Special appreciation also goes to Climate Parliament for their support. I must also thank especially all members of GLOBE Nigeria and Climate Parliament Nigeria for the support and leadership they have continued to exercise on all issues concerning the wellbeing of our planet and sustainable development. In the same vein, I commend the media and all Climate Change activists in Nigeria and abroad who relentlessly drummed up support for Nigeria to have a Climate Change Law. Without you, we would not have had the backing of a critical mass that encouraged us to continue to push.
Thank you all and God bless you.”