PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his administration’s steadfast commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme’s recommendations for the clean-up of Ogoniland and other parts of the Niger Delta, which have been damaged by crude oil spillage.
He gave the reassurance while speaking during a visit to the United Nations Office in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
The president urged the world body to give more support for his administration’s efforts to clean up the region.
He said: “When I came into office on May 29, 2015, one of the first tasks I carried out was to authorise the implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for the clean-up of Ogoniland.
“The devastation caused by oil spillage has destroyed many lives and livelihood, and is clearly one of the reasons many people in that region lost faith in government and resorted to the many criminal activities we are seeing in the region today.
“The action our government took to implement UNEP’s recommendations has given the indigenes of the region hope that there are better days ahead.
“Let me, therefore, express appreciation on behalf of the government of Nigeria to UNEP and other development partners for their cooperation and support on this very delicate matter and also request for their continued support as we implement the recommendations and transform the fortunes of the region.”
Buhari applauded the outcome of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which held in Paris, in December, last year.
According to him, “the commitments agreed on in Paris will clearly benefit Nigeria and many African nations adversely impacted by climate change. We, therefore, look forward to their fulfilment and implementation.
“As the United Nations (UN) office in Nairobi gears up to host the second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) this year, under the auspices of UNEP, I would like to take this opportunity to further pledge Nigeria’s commitment to this very worthy cause of having a safe, secure and clean planet.”
He also said with half of the world’s population now living in cities, world leaders must give greater attention to the challenges of rapid urbanisation.
Buhari spoke further: “In our effort to promote the sustainable urbanisation in Africa, the Federal Government of Nigeria funded and anchored the Africa Urban Agenda (AUA) programme, in partnership with the UN-Habitat.
“The programme aims to enhance engagements between state and non-state actors to build consensus around identified urban development priorities and amplify Africa’s voice at the global level towards HABITAT III.
“The Africa Urban Agenda will culminate in a major conference of African Ministers of Housing, where numerous issues will be discussed.
“I am pleased to announce that this conference will be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja, next month and I look forward to meeting and deliberating with you and other stakeholders on this very important topic.”
Resident Coordinator of United Nations Office, Ms Sahle-Work Zewde, in her remarks, said the election of Buhari in a free and fair election last year demonstrated the commitment of Nigerians to democracy as a system of government.
She described Nigeria as a “crucial member of the UN, a vital partner and a major contributor to UN peace-keeping operations.”
President Buhari undertook the symbolic planting of a tree before leaving the UN office.
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