THISDAY, 28 MAY, 2011

Page 30, THISDAY, Vol. 16. No.

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The Saturday Newspaper, May 28, 2011

ftproperty&environment

Committee 011 E"v;ro umeu t and H on. Kassim Ibralrim, member, clrarzge co mmissio u bill .. .recent ly

El!tl i ro lll1!,w t. d iscussing

Bent, c1!air, Senate tile importance of tIre pres identia l assertt to tire climate

Enter Climate

Change Commission Nigeria is set to join the global community in enthroning a modern low carbon economy to be driven by a Climate Change Commission, writes BENNETT OGHIFO igeria needs a full commission to power the nation's researdl processes on climate dlange, among otllers for economic growtll. It is expected tllat President Goodluck Jonatllan would, by inauguration tomorrow, have signed a bill before him to establish U,e conunission. All hope is not lost even if tl,e president did not assent to tlle Bill before his inauguration because he could do it later since tl,e Senate amended its rules on the continuity of bill presentation and final assent by u'e president "WiU, the new amendment, ",hetller tl,e president assents to tl,e bill before his inauguration or not, it could still be done. It is not going to be

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like what we have in tllepast when tl,e bill will have t9l)e taken afresh by tl,e next Senate," said Senator Grace Bent, dmir of Senate Committee on Environment.

food security, development, cyber securil), and arms conb:ol and nonproliferation.

• Environmentalists believe tllat for tlle nation's views to be well articulated it needs a well-funded commission tllat would Climate Commission's Importance . _ researdl climate and other environmental issues for onwarli There is no globi)! economic meelirJa' like)he ~'lta "trarlSmission to U,e president who would now represent tlle ~eek. in France Ulatpirr)ate ~e:iSlT~~Iis~~.ll ~ . nation ,~ews to sum high-proIDe gathering. His views would ISsues to be discussed. Ih fact' tIie' G8~t' tlaat.',J. j ., ..be taJs~g.¢seriwJslyjf:fbose.t;eingiddressed know tllat the May 2&-27, 2011 in DeauvilleiriNormarldy,s:oli.enrt'lSs" :}... -nl\fiI3!\'IlaS-IJ'"W~1JIished commissIon witll researdl capaas climate mange, education, trade, ~~on~c- ~"'tl1". :lJilibes ,;j;d, a corrunlSSion witll \yjtid1 they would have cotlabtl,e Internet and partnership W1th Afri"" ~qIQ~<i1 ~ orated in generating sum data.

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With the new an'lendment,' wliet~~r ¥h~k. ~,~\. :)t . ~f~~~~~~~~$'~~~~~~~~:~~;==~~y:~~ 'a:I weau,erpattems. His already approadlingJune but tlle rains 'd t t t th b 'II b .E, ~~ ' are still coming in trickles in some areas where agricultural preSt en assen s 0 e t eJore /=J1,i -·-i'.acti~tiesshouldbeinfullswing,wltileinotller areasclimate mange induced storms are causing desolation. inauguration or not, it could still be - '. ;,; , {,i-. Goodluck This is u'e reason environmentalists have tasked President Jonathan to assent to u'e Climate Change f . iLt• is not going to be like what we hav .

Commission Bill,whidl like U1at ofotller advanced countries would u'e resean:hed data to be used in tackling tllese I 11-:" .~; the past when the bill will have to be in a more proactive way ratl,er tl1al1 reactionary ., Environmentalists are seriously concerned U1at some people 'I , taken afresh by the next Senate who do not mean well for tlle nation are trying to whisper venom into u'e ears of u'e president for him not to assent to tlle ~

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bill to establish a climate change commission, presently before . ,!tiJn, .... '" , .," ',.,. ,', ' , , ',',

The Saturday Newspaper, May 28,2011

THISDAY, Vol. 16. No. 5878, Page 31

f)property&envi ron ment ENTER CLIMATE CHANGE COMMISSION Key Functions of Climate Change Commission The Bill to Establish a National Climate Chan~e Commission was first introduced to the National Assembly II1 2008. It was passed by the H ouses of the National Assembly, after a public hearing, and transmitted to the Presidency on December 9, 2010 for Assent.

TI,e Commission wiU be responsible for the strategic harmonization, strengthening and coordination of resources, policies and actions in the field of climate change in all its ramifications. The Commission would advise the Federal Government on policies and priorities on climate change; develop a national stra tegy for the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and support the buildin~ of a low carbon economy; coordinate national response to climate change among agencies of government; promote, regulate and develop the Carbon Market in Nigeria; act as Designated NationaJ Authority (DNA) for the purpose of the inlplementation of the Kyoto Protocol and subsequent international agreements that Nigeria may accede to; promote intemational cooperation to combat climate cllange and ensure national compliance; develop national strategies for adaptation to climate change.

TI,e commission, which wiU be under the presidency w ill also prepare periodic report to the state of adaptation and mitigation to climate cllange Nigeria; commission research on climate change; serve as centre for gathering and dissemination of information relating to national policy on climate change; promote training and manpower development on climate cllange related matters; carry out such oU,er functions as are necessary and expedient to the discharge of iis functions lmder this Act or as may be directed from time to time by the President

â&#x20AC;˘ Ugly impact of climate c/lange ____________________________________________~------------~---------------------------Senator Bent said the commission is a highly technical affair. and does not perfori:i:lany role. If you go to the .U nited States, Europe and elsewhere you'll be shocked by Ule m aSsive infra: "It is not what anybody can profess to be able to do on their structure that they have on the climate change issue. EXoept own. If there are people doing this, fuen honestiy they are doing a lot of disservioe to this country: If anybody no matter how very low IQ environmentalists that will now say Uley want to highly placed decides to work a~ainst this bill then that person advise Mr. President not to assent to this bill. I understand Mr. must be working against the nation's interest. Why wouId anyPresident's antecedent and I know that he wiU in his own interone think that the new commission would take away their est and that of the nation assent to the bill. responsibility? We painstakingly worked on this bill to make The parliamentarians and the other stakeholder, who includsure that we don't have clashes or overlapping of responsibilied the director general of the Nigerian Conservation ties among agencies. The responsibilities of this comnussion are Foundation (NCF), Prof. Emmanuel Obot, Christian Network, among others said it was unnecessary for anyone to feel threatvery precise and do not clash with those of any agencies that are under the Ministry of Environment like other agencies or comened oy Ule establishment of the commission sinoe it would present a win-win situation for the nation, especially in its ec0missions that we established in the time past. We were aware of this sort of conoerns and we took our time to ensure that Uley nomic development.

According to Hon. Ubani, prior to the passage of the bill a don't happen The Minister of Environment has not come to me public hearing was held to incorporate Ule views and conoerns to complain and Hon. Ubani has not mentioned it to my hearof every party and all views were taken care of in the final docing Ulat any agency is not comfortable or" any person for that ument He said the issues to be addressed by Ule commission matter. I wourd have expected that if Mr. President has any were more than what a unit or agency in a ministry can handle reservations and, I am sure because of the kind of relationship Ule legislature has wifu the executive, the president would have because they cut across all spheres of the nation and across all called our attention to it." She described insinuations that some ministries. "We in the committee in Ule House are not aware of people are uncomfortable with the proposed commission as any differences in terms of headship or value of the commismere speculation. 'These people making such noise really do sion At some point some people wanted an agency to be domiciled in the Ministry of Environment but U,en we settled for a not mean well for the people of Ulis country TI,ere is nothing commission for reasons U,at are very clear and very obvious anybody or agency should worry about. Every activity of this because we wanted to give Ule commission some political commission is very distinct. For example, one of the res,p?nsibility of the commission is going to be research. We don t have weight by putting it in the offioe of the president like the weight other commissions like !NEC, NDOC, among oU,ers have any research institution on the environment in Nigeria wllich is a major drawback for us. Advanced countries have gone far. which can make them take good decisions and then have enorResearch is a very critical ingredient tilat any country should mous resources to be able to carry out their activities. If you put aspire to have and Ule national climate change commission is it in one ministry then it loses that value. It would make little going to be saddled with that responsibility. It is going to be sadpolitical sense to p ut in one ministry because of the cross-<:utting nature of climate cllange issues. All ministries are involved dled with the responsibility of putting in plaoe strategies, policies to drive the low carbon credit issues, among others. I am the in climate cllange issues and so if it is in one ministry then wiU chair of the environment committee of fue Senate and I underthe Minister .2f'\Agriculture, Aviation, Water Resources, stand Ule workinll" of U,e Ministry of Environment As it is HOUSing ~P,d;r.ih Development, among others be reporting today, the only thing we have on climate cllange is one small to the Mif1iSter.i5f Environment?" unit in Ule Ministry of Environment, which is just a figurehead

Gains of Presidential Assent "The signing' of the Climate Commission Bill by the President wiU be oelebrated across fue country anq beyond, and will be welcomed by civil society groups, tile meclia and international agencies," said Senator Graoe Bent, chairman of the Senate Committee on Climate Change at a meclia briefing, during the week at the SheilU Musa Yardua Centre in Abuja.

Senator Brent, who was accompanied by the chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Climate Change, Hon. Eziuche Ubani said, it was inlportant for fue president to sign the bill before his inauguration on May 29, 2011 because of the crucial role the commission would p lay in the nation's development.

Hon. Ubani said it was inlperative for the president to assent to the bill sinoe he promised that "the two things he must do is to slay the monster of power problem and also to begin to build a new economy. I don't see why he has Ihis opportunity and not take it."

The commission, he said is not about expanding government and that one of its tasks would be to set U,e ground work for the establishment of U,e nation's carbon market that other countries are taking advantage of and that it was not a mean feat to be left to an agency of government embedded in a ministry. "There are Uungs in the bill that opens the nation to a new econqr.ny."

Who is Afi-aid of the Commission?

A bulk of the funding for the commission, according to the Bill wiU come froil) tile ecological fund, which the parliamentarians believe "is not being used for fue nation's ecology. The ecolo~cal fund would be deployed to the commission to fund its activities."

Reacting to the nation t\.lat some people may be uncomfortable wiU, the proposed coirttnission, U,e parliamentarians said U,at was unlikely because Ule whole exercise leading to U,e passage of the bill was done in consultation with stakellolders including the Ministry of Environment.

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Ain~se people making such

t;llly do not mean well p_~ . pIe of this country. .~: othing anybody or a thould worry about.

Every activity of this commission is very distinct. For example, one of the responsibility of the commtssiofl is going to be research~ We 'don :t; have any research instiiil.ti.on .. on the environment i1~ Nigeria which is a major drawback for us

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-Most vulnerable people to climate change impact are the poor .. 1 ....

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