Saraki observed that the crucial point was that some of the previous agreement signed on environmental issues, were never implemented assuring that the Senate remained committed in solving the problems.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Working Group on Environmental Audit of African Organisation of the Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI WGEA) to the National Assembly, Abuja, he acknowledged that some of the issues already highlighted remains to be implemented due to absence of appropriate political will by leaders.
“We need to ask who is making sure that they are being implemented? By the time we leave all those conferences as politicians, we shake hands with ourselves, we take pictures, but the real issues remain; are these commitments ever implemented.”
He commended effort of the group remarking that it would play a key role in ensuring that some of the environmental policies and solutions that have been put aside are addressed.
His words: “We don’t need to wait every 10 years for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to do reports. Groups like this, can keep us constantly on our toes and I appreciate the fact that the Auditor-General have also decided to identify ways, apart from your core mandate, of addressing the issues of environment.”
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She added that the body has the mandate to improve standards and tools for environmental audit, including dissemination of guidelines and other current materials on the environment.
According to her, the theme of this year’s meeting hosted by Nigeria, is: “Working together for a sustainable and healthy environment in Africa”, pointing out that the theme calls global citizens to respect the environment, the common heritage without which no life is possible.
She explained that environmental sustainability has become a global challenge, synonymous to responsibility towards future generations but expressed confidence that through many initiatives, conferences and summits, world leaders came to the understanding that the natural resources of the earth are not unlimited.”
Mrs. Mbah recalled that world leaders recently gathered at the United Nations General Assembly World Summit on Sustainable Development where they adopted the Agenda 2030, which is a global development program with 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to be implemented by the year 2030
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