Deputy Speaker Seeks Help for Africa’s Climate Challenges

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has said that Africa is at the receiving end of climate change, emphasising the need for the developed countries of the world to assist the continent in overcoming the challenges.

Kalu made the declaration while contributing to the general debate on “Parliamentary action for peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16)” at the Thursday session of the ongoing 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Luanda, Angola.

He recalled that the National Assembly passed the climate change bill into law to ensure that global standards were met.

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“In response to the partnership for climate action, Nigeria passed the Climate Change Act, meant to ensure that global standards are met. To live up to the spirit and letter of our dream on climate change Developed countries must come to the assistance of Africa, which is at the receiving end of climate change,“ Kalu said.

He also highlighted the contributions of the National Assembly of Nigeria towards building virile social institutions and promoting peace and justice as espoused in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 16).

“The National Assembly has also passed the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which reforms the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The PIA is expected to promote transparency and accountability in the sector, strengthen the institutional framework, and attract investment.

“As a parliament representing the people, we devoted ample time to ensuring the improvement of our electoral act amended in 2022 to enable the integrity of the electoral process through technology, which has led to the reduction of the post-election crisis.

“To ensure inclusion, the Nigerian parliament passed the Federal Character Commission Act for better management of our diversity. This Legislation minimises dominance and ensures nobody is left behind

“It is often said that justice delayed is justice denied. To ensure the speedy dispensation of justice, the Nigerian Criminal Justice Act has been and continues to be improved to ensure better access to justice.

“The National Assembly’s legislative contributions to peace, justice, and strong institutions have been significant. However, there is still more work to be done,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker said that proactive steps have been taken for the enactment of the Northeast Development Commission and the Niger Delta Development Commission, along with other bills such as the Southeast Development Commission, which is a work in progress, as a way of addressing the issues.

Decrying the violence in Sudan and the avoidable devastation of lives and property in Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza, Kalu urged the global leaders to find solutions rather than trading blame.

“And this we must do. In addition, threats to democracy in Africa seen in recent coups in some African countries must be addressed, especially the underlying causative factors,“ Kalu added.