23rd May, 2014
The Minister of Environment, Mrs Laurentia Mallam, on Friday described environment as an important sector which should be given priority attention.
She said this when she received the executive team of the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria led by its National President, Peter Uwagbale, in Abuja.
The minister assured the association of government’s assistance in promoting sanitation in the country, noting that “I am really interested in your work.
“I will see what we can do to assist to promote and bring back the story of the old days, when Nigerians were conscious of their environment.”
Uwagbale told the minister that they came to solicit government’s assistance in its effort to ensure a healthy environment.
He called for recruitment of more environmental officers, saying the number of such officers in the country were inadequate.
Uwagbale urged the National Assembly to expedite action and pass the Environmental Health Practice Regulation Bill before it.
“The passage of the bill which is long overdue is adversely affecting the smooth prosecution of emerging environmental challenges in the nation,” he said.
He said the bill if passed would help in addressing some of the environmental health problems in the country.
Uwagbale also called for the reconstitution of the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, saying the tenure of the current executive expired since 2009.