…as Gov Alia intensifies efforts to reduce climate change impacts

…violators of climate change laws ‘ll be penalized – Speaker

By Gabriel Ewepu 

ABUJA – AS climate change impacts socioeconomic lives of Nigerians, International Alert Nigeria, Monday, urged lawmakers to pass legislation to mitigate impacts of climate change on the people and environment.

Speaking on the sidelines of the a one-day Legislative and Advocacy Meeting tagged ‘Strengthening Legislative Leadership for Developing Climate -Resilience and Carbon Budgeting in Benue State’, organised by International Alert in collaboration with the Benue State Climate Council, and funded by Irish Aid, the Country Director, International Alert Nigeria, Kingsley Udo in his welcome remarks said the lawmakers’ role is very critical to change the narrative in Benue State.

Udo said lawmakers in the State are expected to take actions that would reduce the impact of climate change on the people, environment and economy.

The meeting which brought together the Benue State Assembly lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Rt Hon Alfred Emberga, and other stakeholders in the State focused on deepening the lawmakers’ understanding of the State Climate Change Act, carbon budgeting processes, and the institutional roles of the Climate Change Council and Secretariat. 

The meeting created a platform for dialogue on the responsibilities of the Benue State House of Assembly in driving climate-resilience legislation and ensuring accountability for climate-related investments.

He said: “Today’s meeting is therefore timely and strategic. As lawmakers, you play an essential role in translating the Climate Change Act into real, actionable, and well-resourced policies. 

“Your leadership in oversight, budgeting, and constituency engagement is indispensable to operationalizing the state’s climate agenda. 

“By deepening understanding of the Act, carbon budgeting, and the responsibilities of the Climate Council and its Secretariat, we are collectively taking an important step toward building a coordinated, accountable, and sustainable climate governance framework for Benue State.”

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the meeting, the International Alert’s County Director recalled how Benue State stood out as the foremost Nigerian State that produced high quality of food and huge quantities that other States depended on but today it is no longer that narrative.

“They are ready to farm but the climatic conditions they have, the environment bedeviled by what makes it impossible for us to have that kind of quality of food”, he stated.

Also the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, represented by his Principal Private Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Chenge, commended the organisers of the Meeting for Benue State lawmakers, saying it will go a long way to change the narrative.

Alia also disclosed that a lot of water channels have been constructed to reduce the impact of flooding, and now the State is not devastated by flood.

“Massive construction of anti-flooding channels across the state capital and elsewhere. All these steps is to ensure that Benue State that has always been on the radar, as a flooding state is no longer there, and so, beyond the rhetoric, actions have already been taken to ensure that Benue State is removed from flood affected State because it is no longer one of the states that is seen as a “flood disaster state.”

He also explained that the farmer-herder conflict in Benue State is not far-fetched, because the State is located on a very fertile ground with major rivers and lands where farms blossom and farmers make huge profits, and added that, “All what they (herders) thought they could do was to come and push away the original owners of the land, maim and kill them, and grab their land. 

“And so, to say the least, for us, the issue of climate change is central because, first of all, it has to do with security.”

Meanwhile, he expressed optimism that “bringing honorable members to this workshop, giving them the enlightenment about what climate change is all about, will be a good testament to them, or deliver the knowledge they would have acquired here, to support the executive, any time bills or laws are sent to the Assembly, for them to ensure that they advance quickly, to ensure that they are implemented. 

“Beyond that, the knowledge the honorable members have gathered here will in themselves ensure that they evoke personal views that will be for the good governance of Benue State.”

The Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Alfred Emberga, assured that more will be done by Members of the House to ensure climate change issues are well addressed via relevant legislation based on the knowledge and information gathered during the meeting.

“The knowledge gathered here will help honorable members to take back to their constituencies and create more awareness about climate change”, Emberga said.

On budget for climate change combating, he assured that, “As far as budget is concerned, like I have mentioned in my speech, we will continue to work in collaboration with the executive council on climate change to make laws that will strengthen our climate change resilience.”

However, he decried the falling of trees across the State, and pledged that the practice will soon stop through legislative instruments to that effect.

“What is more common in Benue State is indiscriminate falling of trees for charcoal and firewood businesses.

“And all that these activities contribute enough for climate change in Benue State. So, as a House and lawmakers, we will continue to work in collaboration with the Council on Climate Change to strengthen those laws so that those who violate these laws will be penalized”, he added.