Uzodimma urges sustainable solution to nation’s ecological challenges

Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has called for sustainable and permanent remedy to the devastating ecological challenges facing some states in the country.

Uzodimma made the call on Wednesday, when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund, visited him at the Government House, Owerri.

He also called on the National Assembly to ensure that funds set aside to tackle ecological challenges were utilised for such projects.

“Everyday, the fund is being depleted, making it too tiny to address the real problem and purpose for which it was established, whether in the North-East or military intervention.

“The fund should be allowed to run the cause for which it was established,” he said.

Uzodimma lamented over the ecological devastation in the state mainly caused by flood, erosion, crude oil exploration activities by oil prospecting and producing companies.

He said the ecosystem in the state had been altered entirely in a negative manner, following the activities of oil companies that had no regard to the environmental hazards that follow.

He said: “Today, we have seven oil producing companies in Imo and because of the lack of proper regulatory environments they don’t obey the rules.

“They carry out all sorts of practices that will not be allowed in advanced countries.

“But because we’re interested in boosting production in Nigeria, we don’t want to do things that will not encourage the Federal Government’s target of optimising production in the sector.

“You have seen how two federal roads have been washed off as a result of the ecological problem in the state.

“We need help from the Federal Government. I crave your indulgence to look passionately at our case because it’s a serious one.

“Houses are caving into gullies. Unfortunately, we are not captured as one of the states with displaced persons.”

The governor said that the committee’s visit had provided relief to the state and given the hope again that some of the devastations could be remedied.

Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Aminu Jaji, said that the Federal Government was poised to tackle ecological challenges in the country.

Jaji, who earlier led members of the committee on an inspection of ecological sites in the state, said that the release of inadequate funds was hampering the execution of ecological projects in the country.

“The manner most of the ecological funds are released are in the conventional ways, which is inadequate,” he said.

He also said that his committee visited five ecological sites in the state that needed to be addressed urgently.

Jaji said: “If there is any state to be considered, Imo should be the number one.

“In some areas, the ecological challenge submerged about 70 houses, while farmers were also displaced in some other villages.

“Going by our analysis and assessment, the level of soil erosion and high level of soil contamination in Imo is high.

“Also, the level of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons here in Imo is higher than any other state, which makes it potentially dangerous to the health of the people.”

He further said that Imo had the highest level of deforestation by 3.7 per cent on a yearly basis not only in Nigeria but across the globe.

He pledged that the committee would give priority and support to ensuring that the challenges were fixed in the state.