The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas has voiced his commitment to collaborating with the National Assembly to chart a roadmap that will help the environmental sector achieve its mandate.
During a working visit by the Senate Committee on Environment, headed by its chairman, Sen. Yunus Akintunde and other committee members to the ministry in Mabushi, Abuja, Abbas emphasised the importance of the National Assembly’s support and cooperation, particularly in terms of funding, to enable the ministry to fully meet its objectives.
Abbas also expressed his commitment to maintaining an open-door policy, welcoming members of the National Assembly and all relevant stakeholders to engage in discussions pertaining to the environmental sector. He assured the Senate Committee on Environment that the ministry would collaborate closely with the committee to realise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to renew hope.
Additionally, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako pointed out that five of the eight key points in the President’s renewed hope agenda are related to the Ministry of Environment. He highlighted the ministry’s need for significant support in terms of budgetary allocation from the National Assembly to enhance effective service delivery.
Akintunde assured the ministry of the committee’s full support during the working visit, emphasising that the committee’s aim is to foster a synergy for effective formulation, processing, implementation and monitoring of government programmes and projects to achieve the agenda of the current administration.
As part of their legislative oversight functions, Akintunde inquired about the ministry’s level of preparation, constraints, policy direction and programmes and projects outlined in the 2024 Appropriation Bill (2024 Budget). The committee expressed its interest in understanding the processes and actions the ministry and its agencies have undertaken thus far.
Akintunde further urged the ministry and its agencies to keep the committee informed about consultations, discussions, collaborations and the selection, formulation, and allocation of critical intervention constituency projects in the various senatorial districts across the nation.
In a statement released by the ministry’s head of press and public relations, Ibrahim Haruna, Akintunde underscored the legislative chamber’s commitment to partnering with the ministry to effectively manage the environment, ensuring the presence of a safe and healthy ecosystem.
