National Council of the Environment (NCE) turned down 93 memoranda at its 15th session, the communique issued after the session stated.
The council which is composed of 36 states commissioners and the FCT as well as the heads of departments and agencies of the environment received 169 memoranda for deliberation at its 15th session.
It expressed worry over the avalanche of financial memos to the council.
The communique which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune stated that commissioners for the environment in their respective states were charged to ensure that future memos to the council should be populated by policy direction on any segment of the environment as against request for funding them.
The communique reads in part: “The chairman presented a total of 169 memoranda to the council after which council approved 40 action memoranda, stepped down 93 and took note of 36 memoranda.
“The council noted the increase in the number of financial memoranda being submitted to the council and urged members to send only policy memos to the council for consideration.
“The council noted the dangers posed by the indiscriminate spreading of open dumpsites across the country and urged all state governments to close all open dumpsites in their territories and upgrade those that can be upgraded or establish sanitary-engineered landfill by 2030.
“States are also urged to adopt approaches in line with the principle of circular economy, green growth and natural capital accounting.
“All proposed major developmental projects in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of the Federation of Nigeria by both the public and private sectors shall be mandatorily subjected to the provisions of the EIA Act CAP EI2 LFN 2004 and other extant laws with regards to the sector of the proposed projects and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Environment solely.
“The communique continued that the council noted the current challenges of flooding and
erosion in the country with the attendant consequences on lives and properties including its impact on sustainable economic growth and development.
“Urged the Federal Government to improve her approaches on tackling the menace to safeguard infrastructure and protect lives and property, through strategic action including waste management to avoid drainage blockages, compliance monitoring for building standards and codes as well as adequate flood control systems in our infrastructural development.
“Council also urged for a more strengthened interaction between states and the Federal Ministry of Environment through virtual meetings and other means to be abreast with the activities of the ministry particularly projects that are contained within the states.”
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