Page 30 - 1589294704617_LV issue 01 - final_Neat

Talking about most policies formulated by United Na- ness, because the question of asking me how the Minis-
tions, climate change remains the main focus, themes try of women affairs is concerned with climate change
for international days is tied to climate change, we reveals lack of awareness but when you remember
are yet to see any policy by Nigeria relating to climate that women are easily the first set of people to be af-
change, despite the devastating effects. What policies fected by whatever challenge that is coming ,whether it
do you think can be put in place to checkmate climate is herders-farmers clashes where they fight and kill or
change? talking about those who have to trek kilometers to get
We already have a national policy on climate change, water, that is when the stream around you dries up be-
but like I said before, the issue of proper coordination, cause of the effects of climate change. You re already
the issue of having a law that is enacted by the National subjected as a woman that must find ways to feed your
Assembly as a law on climate change and the effects, children, you now have to trek kilometers to go look for
that is what is missing. These National policies are being water or go fetch firewood, ask people to help you cut
pursued maybe in a way that we are yet to get the best down the forest and then you now come, when you re
of coordination, I know that if we are able to have a law cooking you also inhale the smoke and the next thing
on climate change that provides a force of law, then we we harvest a serious health challenge. This is why the
can now find ways and means of proper coordination issue of climate change is crosscutting, it s not pinned
of what we are doing perhaps we will then be able to down to a particular department or agency.
make some progress. Yes it is true that climate change
is significantly responsible for the farmers-herders Recently you were appointed as a vice president on
crises that we have harvested over the years, whether the board of Global Legislators Organization for a
it is the form of crops being destroyed or communities Balanced Environment (GLOBE), many people might be
being erased or all that, we know that and that s why wondering what GLOBE is all about, please enlighten us
it is important for us to harness all the opportunities, on the activities of GLOBE and your appointment.
other resources that we have in different forms to I was elected as the Vice President of GLOBE in charge
be able to tackle this challenges and if we know that of Africa, that is the Vice President Africa of GLOBE.
climate change like I said earlier is coming in the form GLOBE is a global legislator s organization for a bal-
of desertification, drought which is responsible for the anced environment. In simple terms its main objective
herders moving from north down south and then in is how to achieve a balanced productive and relaxed
their movement , whatever they see on the way they environment for everyone, that is in simple terms, but
eat and if it means eating farmers crops then you have how do you achieve this, why is GLOBE special. GLOBE
a clash, we know that this is a problem that is real and is a body of National parliamentarians not State House
that is facing us, and Government policies maybe going of Assemblies but National Parliamentarians and you
forward will be better coordinated, that s our prayers, find GLOBE in nearly a hundred countries of the world.
that s our expectation. Its main aim is for these parliamentarians who are
But right now, national policies on climate change are members of the body to take extra interest on legisla-
not sufficient enough given the way the world is going, tions that impacts on agriculture, environment, ecology,
given the speed the world is moving to really tackle women affairs, petroleum, transportation, mining and
climate change, I think we need to do a little more than the rest of them. These are things that impact on our
we are doing now, to protect everyone. We ve talked health directly, these things that can create problems,
about international day celebrations themes revolving maybe when people are carrying out their agricultural
around climate change. Let me give you an instance, activities, what do they do, what kind of legislation do
when we were working on the bill which I sponsored you put in place to ensure that when they are doing
on climate change, we listed a number of ministries, that, they do not go out of their ways to destroy the
we included Ministry of women affairs and some of the environment, or embark on unnecessary deforestation
people who in some of the sessions we had before and all that. That s what GLOBE seeks to really achieve.
the bill was finally passed were trying to challenge me We have been operating in over hundred countries
asking what has the Ministry of women affairs got to do across the world and the essence is that even when
with climate change, that is why when I was Chairman we hold climate change conferences like we had COOP
of House committee on climate change, immediately I 21, we usually hold a GLOBE conference alongside the
was appointed, the first thing I did was to hold series of climate change conference because it is all inter-relat-
interactive sessions so as to create the needed aware- ed and its geared towards achieving a balanced and
30 I www.legislativevibes.com