House of Reps holds Public Hearing on Ecological Fund Accruals
Gloria Essien, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund has held an Investigate Hearing on the ” Need To Investigate The Total Consolidated Accruals and Utilization of Ecological Fund.
The hearing which brought together stakeholders from states and agencies dealing with ecological challenges.
In his remarks at the hearing, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila,.said that the Ecological Fund of the Federation was established to provide resources for protecting our natural environment and funding repairs and developments necessary to prevent harm.
He said that that the objective of this public investigative hearing is to gather data to design public policy and guide governance decision-making.
” The Legislative Agenda of the 9th House of Representatives includes a commitment to do everything in our power to address the environmental challenges in our country. Specifically, we have committed to take action to address the identifiable environment and ecological damage that has both resulted from and accelerated the occurrence and consequences of ozone layer depletion, flooding issues, desertification, depletion of water reserves, pollution of oceans and rivers, depletion of marine life and the coral reefs, oil pollution and toxic waste disposal”. With each passing day, the wisdom of this commitment becomes more evident, and the urgency becomes direr”. Gbajabiamila said.
The Speaker noted that the hearing also fulfils the parliamentary responsibility to oversee expenditures of public funds and ensure such expenditures are in the public interest.
The Ecological Fund of the Federation was established to provide resources for protecting our natural environment and funding repairs and developments necessary to prevent harm.
The dedicated pool of resources in the Ecological Fund is also intended for emergency response and remediation during environmental and natural disasters.
It is, therefore, most fortuitous that this hearing has been convened at a time when millions of our citizens are suffering the adverse effects of a devastating flood across the country.
One of the questions for this hearing is to what extent the Ecological Fund has been helpful at this moment of national ecological disaster. He said.
Hon. Gbajabiamila also said that the hearing was not an exercise in witch-hunting or score-settling.
For this hearing to have the best outcomes, all relevant stakeholders must engage conscientiously and with respect for each other and the institution of parliament. When the Committee requests information and context, the proper response is to provide what is asked.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, lamented that it was sad that the states most affected by the recent flooding in Nigeria, were absent at the investigative hearing.
He said that out of the thirty six states of the federation, only eight states were present.
“Ecological fund is not an idle fund,the House can decide to scrap it entirely but we would not for the interest of Nigerians. Absentee states and agencies will have a second chance to defend themselves, if they don’t come, they’ll be made to appear through a bench warrant. We’ve seen the allocation given as not being enough and we say come let’s find a way forward and you refuse?.” Hon Isiaka said.
The Chairman commended the committee the states that appeared before the committee,saying that their appearance would change the narrative.
He said that as the pioneer chairman of the committee, he has been able to separate ecological fund from other funds.
He said that there have been these frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the Performance Indicators associated with disbursement to the States, Local Governments through Federal Allocation Committee (FAC) monthly and shares of other Agencies.
“Due to the recent occurrences in many states, the Committee takes it as a national-level emergency, the ongoing flooding because, Nigerian lives and properties are at stake. During our oversight functions in the past, the Committee have been provoking with sentiments, that all beneficiaries of Ecological Fund should always strive at managing the funds accruable to them – this is the essence for which the Fund was set aside as a Special Intervention Fund. Each of the three tiers, the local government, the State government and the Federal Government have a Sizeable budget at their disposals, allocated monthly precisely for dealing with these high-level natural and human instigated emergencies, as well as_ federal agencies dedicated to doing the same”. Hon Isiaka said.
State commissioners and heads of agencies gave accounts of the amount monies they have received so far from the ecological fund and how the monies were utilised.
The Commissioner for Finance of Jigawa state, in response to the why some commissioners were absent at the hearing, said that most of them were yet to get clearance from their governors.
He noted that some of the commissioners were already in Abuja but yet to get clearance to proceed for the hearing.
The committee however summoned all heads of agencies, commissioners and stakeholders who did not appear for the hearing to do so on Wednesday ninth November 2022.
