It’s an unarguable fact that human safety and productivity are undergirds of the prosperity of every nation and society. Hence, any nation or society which eluded safe and healthy environment, is will cease to be developed and will no longer have thriving prospect.
In line with the world’s policy on Health Safety and Environment (HSE), the Nigeria’s Ministry of Environment has established various agencies and parastatals under the Ministry to among other things enforce compliance with environmental laws, guidelines, policies and standards aimed at creating safe and healthy environment.
National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is one of the numerous agencies saddled with such responsibilities which are; protection and development of the environment, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources in general and environmental technology including coordination and liaison with relevant stakeholders within and outside Nigeria on matters of enforcement of environmental standards, regulations, rules, laws, policies and guidelines.
With these critical responsibilities, the agency needs someone who is capable and has the professional acumen to achieve the demanding herculean task. Of course, staid job requires serious people and with the appointment of Prof. Aliyu Jauro as the Director General of NESEREA, one will unequivocally said that, it’s a square peg into square hole.
Let’s face it. At this stage in our national growth everything can be overwhelming. And for the most part, many, particularly the progressive minded ones among us, there is the constant temptation to be a little impatient with the performances of those at the helm of affairs.
There is truly no need to belabor the fact that this sort of high expectations are legit, and, in fact, necessary. No one should live in the assumption that forecloses a citizen’s rights to have expectations that advance the course of their nation’s growth and development.
One of the most potent ways to assuage this expectation is for government to ensure that that square and round peg are placed in their appropriate places. As they say in PR, one must do well and ensure that they are caught in the act. Governments have much to gain by putting out the right optics. Citizens generally form their opinions bases on the optics that are available to them.
Of course, it is not merely putting money for press (don’t get me wrong, this is critically important), but ensuring that decisions which are being made have real impact on them. Sometimes, these decisions will require the inputs of the press and the opinion moulders to gain acceptance and support of the larger population.
The dimensions of the care for the environment; keeping the standards by through effective monitoring, and enforcements are so wide and intricate that to sum it up into a single aspect is simplistic.
In fact, the task of making man interact responsibly anywhere is a whole ball game. Yet, responsibly we must, if the environment must be kept continuously and obediently at our service. So, clearly, at least for every adult Nigerian, if we love ourselves, a new culture of respect for our environment has to be adopted at our homes, offices, and outside our confines.
I have always considered leadership as a core factor in ensuring that that a given task is achieved (I do not undermine the place of the followers). It therefore goes to issue that the leadership of our environmental issues for lack of a better expression must be constantly on their toes and connect with the Nigerian people so that we can succeed at the task together.
Yes, a first hurdle has been won by the appointment of a fine gentleman who seems to possess every credentials, in character and education and required for taking our environmental regulations and enforcement to the next level.
The present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari may have done well in opposition the intellectually mobile and sagacious Professor Aliyu Jauro to head a key agency in the environment; it must never be lost on the administration the enormous amount of responsibility that the agency is saddled with.
For example, preventing the abuse of our environment through dangerous and unsustainable means by which, as a matter culture, wastes are being disposed within our shores. The undeniable fact is that, with Prof. Jauro at helm of affairs of NESREA, we stand to have safe, toxic-free, and healthy environment.
His various engagements, policy formulations and implementations since he assumed the leadership of the agency, shows that, the agency never had it right than now.
Najeeb, a Communication Strategist, write from Abuja.
