Austin Ogwuda
26 March 2009
AFTER much pressure from the Delta State Government, the Federal Government has agreed to collaborate with the state government in solving the major ecological problems that have been confronting the state especially on the two devastating cases in Obomkpa and Igbogiri.
State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Lawrence Osiegbu, who disclosed this in Asaba yesterday when he took his turn in the ongoing inter-ministerial press briefing also named some major incidents of oil spillage that occurred in the state in recent times but noted that they were properly managed through the assistance of his ministry as an unbiased umpire between the host communities and the oil companies.
He also said that "the ministry has begun the regeneration of our forest reserves by planting of Gmelina and Teak trees and our target is 20 million trees of these species by the year 2020 and this will definitely help the state's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive and even create employment".
According to him, "it is gratifying to note that our effort at tackling major ecological problems in the state particularly in Obomkpa, Aniocha Noreth local government area and Igbogiri, Ika South local government area are beginning to yield results.
"The Federal Government through the Ecological Intervention Fund of the Federal Ministry of Environment has agreed to collaborate with us in solving these major ecological problems. This intervention became necessary because of the enormous financial involvement needed to address the menace.
"Similarly", he went on, "efforts are also being geared towards soliciting Federal Government assistance in the area of coastal erosion ravaging the coastal areas of the state".
On the oil spillages, Commissioner Osiegbu said "the ministry's immediate response during such incidence is to call for a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to ascertain principally the cause, magnitude and the extent of the impact on the environment. This JIV is followed by a recommendation for a clean up and remediation after due investigation by the statutory agencies both at the Federal and state levels that are entrusted with such responsibility".
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