UNEP Report: Wike Warns Against Politicisation

The Rivers State
Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has cautioned against the politicisation of the process leading to the  implementation  of  the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report for positive results to be achieved.
Speaking at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday when he granted audience  to the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed, Wike said that issues of the environment are beyond political  party  affiliation since they affect   everyone.
He said: “I just want to advise that the minister and her team should be cautious while handling issues concerning the implementation of the UNEP report, especially  the stakeholders meeting.  Environmental issues are beyond politics”.
The governor said because  of  the  negative  impact  of  the  environmental challenges  on the  communities, any attempt  to  politicise the  process will affect the eventual  outcome.
Speaking further, the governor regretted that most of the environmental degradation in Ogoniland and other Niger Delta communities  flow from the failure  of  multinationals  to take immediate  remedial measures after oil pollution.
He added that rather than tackle environmental challenges  in the areas of operation in the Niger Delta, most multinationals  engage in needless divide and rule tactics to perpetually  deny the  communities of their benefits.
He assured the Federal Government of the  support of the Rivers State Government to ensure the implementation of the UNEP report and other programmes to address the environmental challenges of the Niger Delta.
Earlier, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Amina Mohammed, had said that she was in the state to commence the process for the implementation of the UNEP report and other environmental challenges in the area.
She said that the process for the implementation of the UNEP report will be launched in the coming weeks. She said that the team visited Rivers State first because the struggle to clean up the Niger Delta started in the state.
The minister said that she will be meeting with stakeholders from all walks of life to assist  the government in tackling the environmental challenges.
She said after the launch, the implementation of the recommendations of the report will commence.
The minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Environment, Mr Usman Jibril and chief executives of key parastatals linked to the implementation of the UNEP report.