Ex-lawmaker, Sam Onuigbo Campaigns For Concerted Action Against Climate Change
Former member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal constituency, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, who is the current Chairman, Committee on Security, Special Interventions and Climate Change, and Member of the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), has pointed out that climate change is an existential issue so Nigeria must join other countries of the world to take serious action to combat climate change and set the country on the path of sustainable growth.
The former member of the House Representatives, who sponsored the climate Act, now
referred by many as “Sam Onuigbo Climate Change Act’, has also called for concerted action to win the fight against climate change.
Onuigbo, who made the call at an interactive session with newsmen, urged government institutions, traditional rulers and all stakeholders to cooperate with one another in the efforts to combat climate change.
Onuigbo was recently nominated for 30 Global Leaders on Climate Change Award by Business Insider in recognition of his climate change mitigation and prevention campaign.
He said the menace was partly responsible for the conflicts in different parts of the country particularly in the north east and north central.
He said disappearing grasslands in the northeast had forced some herders to move southwards, thereby triggering conflicts between herders and farmers as struggle over grazing and farming lands escalated.
“This is an existential problem that if not challenged now will create more complex problems in the future. Growing up in the village I used to know six springs and as I am talking to you now five of them have dried up,” he pointed out as an example of the impacts of climate change.
Onuigbo commended President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of Compressed to Natural Gas centers for buses.
He also applauded Tinubu for the libralisation of electricity generation and distribution through the Electricity Act would contribute to mitigating climate change.
He said such moves where indicative of the fact that Tinubu was conscious of where the world was heading to in addressing climate change.
On CoP28 scheduled to hold Nov 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai, Onuigbo said it offered an opportunity to world leaders, experts and stakeholders to negotiate the way forward for climate change.
He said the conference was an opportunity for both the developed and developing countries fine tune strategies for partnership against a common enemy.
He called on developed countries to invest in clean energy sources in Africa and help African nations with technologies that would enable them utilise abundant clean energies on
the continent.
“All hands must be on deck to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It facts all of us in different ways, food, humans, wildlife, and domestic animals.
“Climate change contributes to pollution that kills over seven million people annually. It contributes to food insecurity, insecurity. It affects each and every one of us,” Onuigbe said.
