– ANI donates items worth N74m to National Park Service
By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Determined to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government has charged the Environmental Health Officers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) to intensify regulations across the country.
The Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Abubakar gave the charge during a ministerial press briefing on Covid-19 Health Protection Regulation in Abuja.
He explained that the environmental health Officers regulations 30(part 5) makes it compulsory for officers to enforce the Regulations in both state, local and federal government.
The minister maintained that he will not hesitate to instill disciplinary action inline with Regulation 36, on any erring Environmental Health Officer that defaults.
He also re-echoed the need for disinfection of various premises as provided in Regulation 7 (Part 2) of the environmental health Regulations.
He re-emphasized high risk areas where people can also contact Covid-19 such as markets, schools, worship centers, leisure centers among others.
“People should ensure they maintain social distances, use of face masks, observe washing of hands, which remains the best approach to curb the disease.
In his remarks, EHORECON Acting Registrar, Dr Baba Yakubu Mohammad said “the minister has activated those of us in the ministry of environment to start the enforcement in earnest and give the directions on what to do.”
He pointed out that the activation of the environmental health officers is to ensure that the enforcement of health Protection regulations is being achieved and enforced in local, state and federal government.
“With this enforcement and regulations, it will go a long way to curb the spread of Covid-19. Any one found not obeying rules will face penalties”, he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Abubakar has received uniform materials, kit, ammunition and anti-poaching patrol equipment and other field equipment donated to the National Park Service by African Nature Investors (ANI) in Abuja.
The Minister said the ministry is in partnership with ANI for the provision of support to scale up conservation activities in Gashaka Gumti National Park with a view to build up the fauna and flora resources and to boost ecotourism.
He said that the partnership is in tandem with the present Government’s determination to develop the economy through tourism by turning the country (Nigeria) into a major destination for tourism and investment in Africa.
The minister said that the items worth Seventy-Four Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira Only (₦74,540,000) is in furtherance to the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding earlier signed in 2017. The Conservator General, National Park Service, Ibrahim Goni said the government will partially commercialize some of the country’s National Parks.
Goni pointed that with the implementation of the partnership agreement and the experience so far, the service has no regret in entering into such collaboration.
He said the two parties have kept to terms as provided for in the signed document.
Dr. Goni used the opportunity to appeal to other conservation-related organizations world over to join hands with the park service to effectively protect, manage and conserve the flora and fauna.
