Connected Development Commends, Tasks Akwa Ibom Government over Intervention Plans on Ewet Gully
…Calls out NDDC, NUPRC to be more Accountable with Ecological funds
By Ekemini Simon
Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental Organization with a mission to empower marginalized communities in Africa has praised the government of Akwa Ibom State over its planned response to the gully menace devastating Udo Iwang Street, Ewet Offot Community in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Connected Development had engaged the community and carried out advocacy for government intervention on the gully in November 2022 even as it facilitated the issue to be broadcasted on Arise TV on November 4, 2022.
Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive Officer of CODE at the Ewet gully site.
Eight months after the push by CODE, Governor Umo Eno on August 8, 2023 visited the community to inspect the gully erosion menace and ordered the immediate abolition of excavation of the borrow-pit in the area.
Reacting to the development in an interview with TheMail Newspaper, the State Team Lead of Connected Development, Comrade Ubong Ekpe commended the government of Akwa Ibom State for seeing the need to finally intervene on the gully menace.
He said CODE was delighted that the advocacy it carried out has contributed to the positive development that would be experienced in the area.
Ekpe said for the State Governor to visit the gully for on-the-spot assessment shows that the Governor is listening and ready to intervene.
The State Team Lead however called on the government to effectively utilize ecological funds paid by the Federation Account Allocation Committee to both State and local government areas for ecological projects which will help the government to be proactive against ecological hazards.
He explained ” We must understand that 2.3 percent of monthly accruals from the federation account is shared to the federal, states and local governments for the funding of ecological challenges in the country.
“Out of the 2.3 Percent, the federal government takes 1 percent, the state governments take 0.72 percent and the local governments take 0.60 percent.
“The 1 percent that goes to the federal government is shared among the following agencies; the National Emergency Management Agency with 20 percent, the National Agency for the Great Green Wall with 5 percent, the North-East Development Commission with 10 percent and the National Agriculture and Land Development Authority with 10 percent, leaving the Ecological Project Office (EPO) with the remaining 55 percent.
“The remaining percent goes to the States and local government areas. In recent times, we have been faced with serious ecological challenges caused by climate change. Many have lost their lives and properties even when these funds in multi-millions of naira trickle down monthly. It is time the government becomes more transparent in how these funds are spent and the citizens also become more interested in how these funds are spent.”
Ekpe also called on the Niger Delta Development Commission to utilize and be more accountable on 50 percent ecological funds deducted at source from the Niger Delta States to the commission for ecological projects.
He equally called on the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to be transparent and accountable in how it utilizes ecological funds received from gas flare fines in line with the provisions of Petroleum Industry Act.
The State Team Lead of CODE insisted that if the State Government, local government, NDDC and NUPRC utilizes the ecological funds that are paid to them, ecological challenges currently bedeviling the State would be reduced.