Monday, May 30, 2011
THISOAY, Vol. 16, No. 5880, Page 25
FEATURES·
Climate Change and the Prospect of Vision 20: 2020 Given the global warning on the effects of climate chang~ to development, PAUL OBI writes on the inherent pitfalls that climate change may . constitute to . Nigeria's economic poTicy trust, the ~ Vision 20: 2020
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cross the globe, .experts are raisi ng questions on the increasing negative effects of climate cbange and its attendant impediment to economic growth . Some have hinted that even the pursuit of economic growth could double the rate of the depletion of the ozone layer. Speaking to a joint session of British Parliament last week, US President Barack Obama, while touching on climate change said: "We must dev ice means that will grow our economy without destrOy ing our environment." It's not only Obama that is concerned about the corresponding damage climate change will have on globaI economy. ' . Minister of Environment John Odey a forth night ago cautioned against tlle grave danger climate change effects posed to tlle realisation of Nigeria's Vision 20: 2020. According to Odey, effects <>f Climate Change in the country if not c~ecked may in the long run
-Rural women ... climaJe challge may affeCt their agricultural productivity
hinder the realisation of Nigeria's Vision 20: 2020 ""d the Millennium Development Goals (MOOs). The minister who was represented by Head of Climate Change Special Unit, Dr Adejare Adejuwon, made the remarks at a seminar on 'Social Economic Impact of Clim~te Change in Nigeria' organised 9Y Nigerian Institute of 'Social and Economic Research (NISER) .based in Ibadan , Oyo State. Qdey observed ·that "The effects of climate change besid!'S the damage to the environment is likely to I~d to psychological defects .and lost of agricultural farm
EFCC 'Stirs Controversil'~:nt'd fr~~~dgt.;~:J~t~\~.,~:;;;~;'~;-;~"'·:
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arguing that it was misleading for their image handlers to create th~ ' ically derii~.nstrntedon~ I8'&i~/iOii¥op'~' :'{'ii:la(ea,inai; " . impression that tile EFCC was holding them iIi contravention of' , ters whe.reeour lea<.I <:~I ): B: p3l)d3, '~.. ': The ;f~~/!"" orders. of the courts:She said until N!ge.rians begin!o appreciate the already. before You·:vide:a pet!~oi) aJjd,:YI~'" .... ,.:~ ~~ ~6~'.~y. good work of the !anu-grnft COrrutlJSSlon , corrupt persOns ,would . repeatuigthem.. For the recottis however, l11e:futaPh·,a'cop.y,for ease . continue to pollute their minds against it. .. . of reference; 'i' ; - ;:'. , . .' ! The view cif the EFCC boss was corroborated lasl week by '. 'TheaboYeJJlentioned matterisstill ~foreAochibongJ and will Justice Okunnu, while ruling on the bail application by Okey NwoSu ·be. coming up on the ~Mai,'20 I L:In view of, hiS.manifest and and other fonner directors of the Finbank who also asked the court ' unconcealed interests'jil Dr. ·Akmgbola .and.obVioUsly other EFCC to quash the charges against them because it amounted kl double , matterS, we regret to.say that hiS compromise<'l'staoc:e cannot enSure jeopardy since they were already standing ttial at the Fedeial High justice in these tiJa(ters: On !\le oontnuy, his continuoo participation Court on similar charges !U'd at the Invesbnent and SecUrities in these in~tters will bring the administrati.ori of jUstice to doubt.-·' Tribunal. .• ' . _ 'The.C6mmisSio~ .b umbly, respectfully and kindly request that , While Justice Okunnu granted them bail , she however, dismissed : Archl;)(lOgJ baving in the passing held tlJe E1'GC in contempt should other applicationS, saying they lacked merit. She said the offences '. excuse biriiself from all EFCC matterS or lie excrised ..}Ve thank you for which they were charged at the Federal High Court werediffer-. for your ,,",d understanding in thismaiter and lookforwarO to a relaent from the on<;s before her and added,that in the case at the Fedetal tionship !liat will ensUre the.gOOd administt:atioo of justice without .... ,,' High Court, th~y were' not accused of stealing, but of money laun- ", blemish or rruicour:: .... dering and violation of banking rules; On the issue of jurisdiction, Ecjually; thePresideiltofthe.Nigerian Bar Association (NBA),Mr Justice Okunnu said: '·'This court can entenain the charge of stealJoseph Daudu (SAN)'petitionedJusnceAuta; tjuestioning the eoDing against the defendants. The evidence revealed thai the series of . duct of the' judge. He: said his client'has 'l)i1equivoCalJy lost Gonfitransactions took place in Lagos:' dence in the ability.of JuSiiceArchibong to deliver justice in !he malMeanwhile, the EFCC is having issues on the Akingbola caSe at 'ter. He added that from the condUct of the judge, he has descended the Federal High Court. Penultimate week, it petitioned the Chief into the arena and had lie<;ome einbmiled in the mess 'o f ihe controJustice of the coun, Justice Ibrahirn Auta where it raised some versy. . . ".. . . . . Only recently, Waziri had cause to' vent the frnl;trations of the objections on the conducts of Justice Efarig Cbarles Archiliong.in the matter. Trouble staned when counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Joseph commission on the judiciary. Feeling that the number of conviction from the Court waS riot Commensurate with. the high-profile arre:;ts Daudu (SAN), recentiy walked out on Justice Arclubong in protest of his ruling dismissing his application for stay of proceedings in the 'and prosecution of Corrupt' persons, the EFCC boss blamed the .fundamental rights suit instituted byAkingbola against the EFCC. courts. It is against that background that'she has been soliciting the The commission in a petition dated May 19, 2011 and signed by assistance of the judiciary to.tackle the menace. . . its Chainnan, Mrs. Farida Waziri, said it strOngly disagree with the '. At every 'forum that she 'haS attended, the EFCCIioss,' has not conduct of the judge as it relates to matters it was prosecuting in always failed to let Nigerians know thilt the fault waS not of the com-. connection wit!] fonner bank chiefs. It disclosed that the climax of mission, According to her, the commission's responsibility is strictJustice Archibong's undue interests and manifest bias in favour of Iy to investigate and prosecute offenders and' not to .~onvict them. the bank chiefs was demonstrated on May 18,2011 in ooe. of the This. is why she haS for some time' now been canvassing for a spec related matters handled by Dauda. cial court to try cases of economic and fuiancial crimes in the counThe commission noted that in view of the judge's unconcealed try as it is done in some countries like the United States and United interests in the Akingbola 's case and other EFCC matters, his cOmKingdom. This, s1ie said is one of the most effective strategies the . promised stance cannot ensure justice in the matters and since the cornnnission needs to adequately tackle grnft in the country. . judge has held the anti-grnft cqmmission in contempt, he should The EFCC boss said her agency has duly investigated many excuse himself from all EFCC matters or be excused. cases, but was being hindered by delayed prosecuth n, saying the '';'' ' -EFCC's'petition read: "It is with the greatest reluctance but with country's laws should device proactive ways to bring corrupt per·a high sense of responsibility to the institution for the administration sons to justice. Saying that without the suppon of the judiciary, sucof justice as represented by the judiciary that I write this petition as .cess in the fight against corruption would be impossible, Waziri said a strOng objection to the serial conducts of Archibong J as it relates the country's judicial system was a major factor in determining perto matters being prosecuted by our Commission in connection with formance of the EFCC. erstwhile bank chiefs. According to her, the pandemic nature of comJption in the coun"The anti climax of his undue interests and manifest bias in . try makes a separate coun for prosecution imperative, if success favour of the bank chiefs in proceedings before the court was graphmust be achieved. .
lands," adding that, "It remains factual that climate change may hinder Nigeria's Vision 20: 2020 and the anainment of MOOs tar-
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He also pointed out that, the impact of climate change has resulted in decline in resources, including mounting scientific evidence on the damage human activity constitute to the environment. He maintained that unless proper attention is given to climate change, the endemic'problem confronting the envimnment would continue unabated. Also, the Director General of NISER , Prof. Femi Olokesusi, in the keynote address stressed that critical questions bordering on the general understanding, mitigation and adaptation strategies of climate change must be put in the front burner in order to reduce its effect. Olokesusi rather added that "The challenges of ownership of appropriate technology for adaptation as well as capacity building are of paramount importance, especially in the context ofVisioll 20: 2020." Thus, it was not surprising therefore that the National Planning Commission (NPC), Defence Headquarters, Quantity Surveyors, economic experts and other professionals were part of the forum seeking to unearth the negative prospects of climate change on national development. And since, Nigeria's quest for economic growth is hinged on the implementation of Vision 20: 2020, it is assumed that the prevailing effect beyond standing as obstacle to clean envimnment, more or less propelled a continuous appraisal of the issues involved nay the loses there from (climate change), including far-reaching implications of these effects to the Nigerian economy.
It holds that the more human activity helps in polluting the environment, the more threatened the Nigerian economy will be. Again, just as communities, states and nations are all affected by the effects of climate change, made worst by ravaging rainstorm, lands lides, windstorms, drought and tsunanrus, the Nigerian economy is put at risk, While the chances of growing the economy are also dashed. There is also the prospects of natural disasters increasing, thereby disrupting economic planning vis-a-vis Vision 20: 2020.
Speaking in the same vein, the Director General of tile National Envimnmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Ngeri Benebo collaborated the view that a polluted environment could hamper the nation's zeal for development. While presenting the agency's scorecard, she said: "As you are aware, sustainable development hinges on three key pillars-social, economic and environmental.
"Disruption or dislocation of any of these pillars , especiall y th~ environmental will spell doom to our nationa1 environment." Benebo went further to state that "environment is our natural
resource base, it provides the natural feed stock to our economy, this is why protectiQn of our environment is essential to our nation": aI development, and it can on1y be achieved through environmen-
tal governance," she add. . Succinctly, as it is now, some states in the country have started feeling the pinCh of effects of climate change on their economies. The adverse effects of desen encroachment in the far nortll, gas flaring in the Niger-Delta, devastating erosion menace in the south east and the threat of flood in the creek states are all striking examples of potential threats of climate change to the national economy. It remains to be stated that government's dilly-dally approach to find ing possible solutions and reducing activities that pollute the environment amounts to self-destruction. if not a cost]ier step to the final collapse of the economy. Though, Vision 20: 2020 present the nations resolve to grow the economy, the increasing effect of climate change if not put on hold may postpone Nigeria drive for a vibrant economy. And the right time to act is now.