Alliance for Action on Pesticide (AAPN) has kicked against the inclusion of CropLife International as members of the Nigerian Pesticide Council while leaving out most regulatory agencies that are saddled with the responsibility of regulating the sector.
This is even as the group also called for more input into the Bill by extending the public hearing saying that the content of the Bill leaves much to be desire as it is.
The group in a statement recently in Abuja, said the public hearing was not inclusive. It said further that AAPN recommended a straighten of existing agencies and improving coordination by a Council.
It noted that the call for submission of memo was published in Daily Trust of 6th December 2021, yet it expects the submission of 100 memo to the committee by December 9 2021.
“In the position of the Alliance for Action on Pesticide in Nigeria (AAPN), this Bill should be halted for proper review and better alignment with existing framework. The Bill stands the risk of duplicating the roles of agencies as warned by the Orasanye Report, thereby paralyzing existing agencies instead of strengthening them.
“While we applaud the thought of the House of Representative Committee on Agricultural Production and Service to have a well-coordinated pesticide regulation, we strongly recommend that any Council on Pesticide should focus on strengthening the roles of existing Agencies, improve their inter agency collaboration and increase oversight and thoroughness in pesticide use in Nigeria, as many Nigerians are suffering from effects traceable to the increasing dependence on pesticide use in our food and farm system.
APN said further that the bill does not have NAFDAC, NESREA, NAQS, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCPC) as part of the Council members and does not have any prescription on enforcement or environmental safety monitoring plans with clear role for any of the agencies.
“The Bill reserves 2 seats for council members to be occupied by CropLife International. CropLIfe is an International Association consisting of international private companies that manufacture and promote highly hazardous pesticide in the Council of Pesticide in Nigeria,” it wondered.
The group alleged that CropLife member Companies like Sygenta and Bayers that have millions of dollar law suites for health and environmental damages should not be seating anywhere near Nigeria’s regulatory counsel on Pesticide. And that having CropLife members seated in a National Council to Regulate Pesticide is a huge conflict of interest and raises a lot of question on who the Bill is designed for.
The group also questions why the Bill would allow council members to accept gift as this will open the system to corruption and compromise of the health and safety of Nigerians.
It further pointed out that the Bill has no provision for liability and redress for harms associated with the use of the pesticide and does not present anything new from the existing pesticide regulatory structures except allowing the collection of gift and none mention of regulators.
