NESREA partners with state governors to address environmental issues

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) says it has started collaborating with state governors to effectively address environmental issues in their states.

Dr Lawrence Anukam, the Director-General of NESREA, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

Anukam said that the collaboration would help identify specific issues affecting the environment in the various states, adding that it would aid efforts to tackle them efficiently.

“The agency’s prayer is that all the state governors will give us that opportunity to have our presence in their states, so that we can work together with them.

“The opportunity will help NESREA to work effectively to address environmental issues at the grassroots,’’ he said.

To this effect, the director-general said that NESREA had trained its staff and those of the collaborating agencies on salient environmental issues.

Anukam said that the collaboration would promote environmental health of the country and enhance the service delivery of the agency.

He said that NESREA had introduced environmental training programmes with the police so as to facilitate its operations in a pragmatic way.

“We work together with the police in terms of enforcement; we go in the company of policemen whenever we go for environmental inspections.

“We also go with the police whenever we want to seal those organisations that have violated environmental laws.

“So, we decided to engage the police in the training programme, so as to educate them on our activities.

“In the course of the training, the agency has provided a training curriculum, which involves the junior, middle and higher cadres of the police force,” he said.

Besides, Anukam said that NESREA had sensitised the judiciary to its expectations with regard to environmental activities.

According to him, the judiciary is there to interpret law and mete out punishment to violators.

“The judiciary needs to be appreciated; it should also be educated on environmental issues, as such will help us to achieve our set goals.

“We will also sensitise other government agencies to the importance of keeping our surroundings clean so as to protect the lives of the people,’’ he said.

Source: NAN