The Director, Centre for Wetlands and Waste Management Studies, University of Uyo, Professor Gabriel Umoh, has tasked the federal government on the enforcement of existing environmental protection laws to save the country from the fatal consequences of air pollution.
Umoh said the federal government should prevail on the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), to commence the implementation of all existing environmental laws.
He stated this on Wednesday while addressing newsmen in Uyo to mark this year’s World Environment Day with the theme “Beat Air Pollution”.
He said NESREA which has the responsibility for the protection and development of the environment biodiversity conservation was established by the government with enough laws and guidelines for the protection of the environment.
Umoh said: “In Nigeria there are laws and guidelines that are expected to be a framework for guiding against air pollution. For Instance, the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency has been established with the national guidelines and standards for environmental pollution and control in Nigeria.
“Section 4.14 of the National policy on environment makes for the complete utilisation of produce associated gas to reduce gas flaring and production of green house gases in line with this policy. This policy is in place but till now the oil and gas industries are still flaring gas”.
“This calls for immediate steps to be taken by the regulatory authorities to bring the operators of Oil and Gas sector to conform and comply with the policy.
“Some of these operators are multinational companies operating in other countries and they obey the rules and laws in those countries.nBut I think the problem here in Nigeria is enforcement. And this should serve as wakeup call on NESREA and other agencies to effectively enforce the existing laws,” he said.
