Saraki calls for implementation of UN resolution on environment

SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, advocated a political will on the part of the world leaders towards the implementation of resolutions on environmental issues.

He spoke when a delegation of the Working Group on Environmental Audit of African Organisation of the Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-WGEA) paid a visit to him in his office at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Responding to the address by the leader of the delegation, Saraki acknowledged that some of the issues already highlighted remained to be implemented for development due to the absence of appropriate political will by the leaders.

“Some of the agreements you talked about, which you have signed with some organisations, the point is: how far have they gone in their implementation? Besides, who is making sure they are being implemented?

“In Nigeria, we talk about deforestation, we talk about oil spillage, it is clear that all these are affecting the lives of our people. This equally shows us the point we are and what we need to do.

“I think we don’t need to wait every 10 years for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to do reports. Groups like this can keep us constantly on our toes and I appreciate the fact that the Auditor-General has also decided to identify ways of addressing the issue of environment.

“So, I want to commend the efforts you are making and I assure you that we are going to cooperate to bring more successes to what you are doing.

“We can do that as part of efforts to make your work easier and to bring more successes to what you are doing. I think it will go a long way in helping and making the environment much more better,” he said.

Saraki commended the relevance of AFROSAI-WGEA on environmental issues, while promising that the Senate and, indeed, the National Assembly would give the necessary support.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mrs Mbah Acha Rose Fomundam, had said the theme of this year’s meeting, hosted by Nigeria, “Working together for a sustainable and healthy environment in Africa,” called on all to respect the environment, the common heritage without which no life is possible.

“Environmental sustainability has become a global challenge, synonymous to responsibility towards future generations. Through many initiatives, conferences and summits, world leaders came to the understanding that the natural resources of the earth are not unlimited,” she said.

Mrs Mbah said recently, world leaders gathered at the  United Nations General Assembly meeting in September 2015 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, where they adopted the  Agenda 2030, a global development programme with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be implemented by the 2030.