BY LAIDE AKINBOADE
The Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, Friday, said the Federal Government has supervised the clean-up of over 497 oil spill sites in Nigeria.

Mailafia stated this while presenting the 2013 mid-term Presidential anniversary on the Ministerial platform in Abuja.

She said the ministry also remediated 430 lead poisoned homes and 4 hectares of lead poisoned industrial sites in Bagega village in Zamfara State.

According to her, “achieving clean and healthy environment is the work of every Nigerian. Climate Change as well as its impacts are real and therefore building Nigerian’s resilience to its impacts becomes imperative.

Increasing the vegetation cover in the country is a must. For the nation to achieve its development, it is imperative to enforce all the environmental laws, regulations, guidelines and standards.”

She blamed the large number of erosion sites in the nation on Past administration and government for not doing enough on erosion control.

She said President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the upgrading of National Parks Service to paramilitary organization with effect from January 2014. And the Federal government is set to privatise all the National Parks in the country.

Mailifia said it is imperative for the Federal Government to tackle hazardous waste problems in the country especially those ones that involves the illegal importation and dumping of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste).