…Slams FG Over Environmental Disaster Management …Swears-in New HOS

Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Rivers
State, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has lashed out at the Federal Government,
saying the measures it put in place to combat environmental challenges in the
country are gassy.

The governor, who was speaking against the backdrop of
worrisome environmental degradation, and rampaging floods in the Niger Delta,
wants the Federal Government to quickly put in place ‘’workable measures’’ that
would adequately address the growing problems of environmental degradation and
flooding in the region and the country as a whole.

Amaechi passed this seeming ‘Save Our Souls’ message to the
authorities in Abuja, through the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology.

Members of the committee, led by the Chairman, Dr. Bukola
Saraki, had paid the governor a courtesy visit at the

Government House, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, where Governor
Amaechi argued that if adequate measures were not urgently put in place to
address the problems suffered by oil producing communities in the region,
‘’state resources will not be enough to contain the humanitarian crisis that
will arise from official inaction’’.

According to the chairman of the governors’ forum, ‘’we all
know that derivation funds are paid to the states, but all of us must work
together and ensure that the problems faced by these communities should be
addressed.

“We should do something fast to help our people, that is why
I said, you need to champion the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) that addresses
issues of oil producing communities, and that is our concern because it will
bring succor to our people”.

He said the issue of flooding had become worrisome in the
oil and gas region and called on the central government to take urgent steps to
remove silt from River Niger in a bid to address the menace of flooding.

‘’The reason why you have flooding is because the Federal
Government need to remove silt from River Niger, and if we don’t do that, we
can’t stop flooding”, he said, while thanking the Senate committee for their
concern and commitment to finding a lasting solution to the environmental
challenges suffered by the people of the region.

Earlier, Committee Chairman, Sen. Saraki had said they were
in the state as part of their oversight functions to verify complaints relating
to issues of environmental pollution and devastation in oil producing
communities in the state.

Saraki expressed disappointment over the level of oil
pollution in Obite, Ebubu, Bori and Joinkrama communities in Rivers State.

‘’We visited some oil producing communities where there were
complaints of oil degradation and devastation of their water, farmlands and
environment, and the people could do nothing for their livelihood, because no
remediation was paid to them by those oil companies’’, the Senate committee
chair said.

He stated that, it was wrong for host communities to suffer
such level of pollution from oil companies operating in their areas without
adequate compensation paid to those affected.

Saraki also stressed the need for the speedy passage of
NOSDRA Amendment Bill 2012 before the National Assembly to address problems of
compensation, polluter pays and spill affecting oil producing communities in
the Niger Delta.

He commended Governor Amaechi for restoring peace in the
state, and thanked the oil affected communities for their cooperation and for
making their inspection visit a success.

Meanwhile, barely two weeks after erstwhile Head of Service
bowed out of office, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has sworn-in Barrister
Samuel Long-John as the new Head of Service, as he urged him to drive his
administration’s bid for an efficient civil service.

Rt Hon Amaechi said the appointment of Long-John is in line
with service rules, since according to him he is the most senior permanent
secretary.

Long John has so far put in 17 years before his recent
appointment, as he joined the state civil service in 1995.

Amaechi while speaking during the swearing-in-ceremony of
Barrister Long-John at Government House, Wednesday in Port Harcourt,
congratulated the new head of service on his appointment, and assured him of
his administration’s commitment to make the civil service an effective and
efficient body to ensure stability in the current political dispensation.

“I have made the decision to stabilize the civil service.
Right from the time I took over power in 2007, I thought of putting in place an
efficient and effective civil service to ensure stability. We have chosen
Barrister Samuel Long-John as the most senior civil servant, this is not the
time to play politics, and we have taken the best decision so far”, Amaechi
said.

Governor Amaechi also charged the new head of service to
improve on the good works of his predecessor, Mrs Esther Anucha and set up
useful structures that would enhance standards in line with the vision of his
administration.

“As the new head of service, you need to continue the
overhaul of the civil service, by ensuring that it is pro-ICT. You have the
duty to make them understand that every civil servant should be ICT-compliant”,
Amaechi further said.

The state chief executive also expressed the commitment of
his administration to enforce the distribution of computers to every ministry,
department and agency to ensure full compliance by all civil servants for
effective service delivery.

On his part, the new Head of Service, Barrister Samuel
Long-John said, he would put in his best to ensure that the vision of Governor
Amaechi is achieved.

“We all know that the civil service is the engine room of
government, and we will do everything possible to sustain it to serve the
current administration better than expected”, he said.