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By Maduka Nweke
The Enugu state government recently enacted a law that would prevent environmental degradation in the state.
At a recent media briefing in Enugu, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Mr. Samuel Ugwu, said that establishing the environmental law was one of the things Governor Peter Mbah has achieved through the ministry as the law is to back up its activities legally.
Ugwu explained that there was no law backing the ministry for its operations since it was created some years ago. He said the ministry has also developed policies on climate change to reduce the socio-economic impact of its adverse effects in the state.
“We now have a law passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly waiting for the governor’s assent. We have developed policy on climate change which is a guideline of activities that can be carried out within the climate change context.
“It has to do with the changes in the weather, atmosphere, how it affects the ecosystem in which we live; the climate also affects the lives of people, health, agriculture and economy. The effect is more on agriculture, the water we drink and the losses we incur where there is adverse effect of this climate change,” he said.
The commissioner noted with dismay that many Nigerians are not aware of what climate change means, hence the need for intensive awareness to cushion its effect on the society. While discussing illegal mining in the state, Ugwu said that the current government of have curtailed the activities of miners by embarking on ceilings of over 20 illegal spots in the state. He said that the illegal mining activities which were in various production stages were done without any cost to and consent of the state government.
According to the commissioner, the entire state has started experiencing a clean environment following the effective supervision by the ministry. Ugwu said that the Enugu State Waste Management Agency (ESWAMA) is working effectively with the constant removal of waste on a daily basis. “We have sweepers who come out early morning from Monday to Saturday to make sure the streets are kept clean always. The officers of the environmental health unit in the ministry also go out intermittently to supervise supermarkets, shops and pharmacies to identify expired edibles,” he explained.
The commissioner advised residents to change their attitude towards the environment and join Mbah’s administration to protect the ecosystem.
