…laments devastating effects on Nigerians

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Environment has moved to address environmental degradation in the country through legislation and policy review.

This was as the committee also expressed concern over the devastating effects of environmental degradation on Nigerians.

The chairman of the committee, Rep. Julius Pondi (PDP-Ebonyi) made the pledge at the inaugural meeting of the committee on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Pondi, the environment had been subjected to very unkind conditions and that constituents are suffering the consequences, adding that there is a need for immediate transformational changes in every sector to ensure a change.

“Flood, pollution, erosion, deforestation, and all kinds of disaster is on the increase as the years go by and this calls for urgent steps to be taken to forestall further degradation.

“Globally, countries are making frantic efforts to salvage and remedy what is left in their environment and I am glad to say that Nigeria is following suit.

“On our part as a Committee, we shall be looking into laws that need to be amended and policies that have outstayed their relevance and see how we can bring about positive changes and solution to the challenges staring at us.

“What we are going through is not peculiar to us but a global problem which requires all hands to be on deck to achieve results.

“We are privileged to be part of finding solution to these challenges and giving our constituents and the nation at large hope of a better tomorrow and we will do all we can to achieve results,” he said.

The lawmaker said that the assignment of the committee is an enormous work that requires team approach.

He said that all members of the committee are stakeholders in the sector must put in the best effort to the work at hand.

Pondi pledged that the committee shall discharge its mandate with all sense of responsibility, guided by the Legislative Agenda of the 10th Assembly.