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Govs heckle Adeosun to release Ecology Fund

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Kemi Adeosun - Reno got it wrong

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum has asked Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to release ecology funds to them to enable them tackle the different environmental problems confronting them.

The Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, stated this on Tuesday when he led governors of six other states to a close-door meeting with the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr, Godwin Emefiele at the headquarters of the Ministry of Finance.

The governors at the meeting were, that Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; Kaduna, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Osun, Rauf Aregbesola; Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa and Katsina, Aminu Masari.

Governor Yari, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the meeting, disclosed that the governors had to meet with the minister to request the disbursement of the ecology fund, adding that most of the states are at the moment facing environmental problems and that the governors cannot continue to wait for funds to address the problem.

According to him, while the South-East faces erosion challenges, the South-South and the North are combating with the issue of oil spill and desertification respectively.

“We are concerned seriously about the environment, the desertification in the North, South-South oil and gas spill and erosion in the South-East. And we have a lot of funds in the ecology stabilisation funds.

“And those funds are not being discussed at the National Economic Council (NEC). What we discuss at NEC is usually briefing on excess crude account and the Federation Account.

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“But this fund is not being discussed at that platform. So, we will like to have this fund every month because those funds are federation funds and we are having so many problems. We need the money.

“Also, there are funds from the foreign intervention in relation to the environment, so we are discussing with the minister of finance and CBN governor on how states can easily access those fund,” he said.

The ecology fund, which formerly received one per cent of the Federation Account, was in 1992 reviewed upwards to two per cent and since its introduction in 1981, has been a first line charge that offers handy resources for amelioration of ecological problems.
By Ebere Ndukwu …

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