Former Commissioner of Environment under Peter Obi administration as governor of Anambra State has said the Labour Party presidential candidate addressed issues of climate management in the state.
Newsonline reports that Mr Ifedi Okenwa said while in office as Commissioner of Environment, Peter Obi spent heavily in erosion control, flood management, urban planning, and afforestation.
The former Commissioner under Peter Obi stated this on Tuesday in reaction to criticism that the former governor of Anambra has no commitment to issues of climate change.
Garba Shehu, an ardent supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate had called on the LP presidential candidate to step down from the 2023 election race following what he described as poor outing of the former governor of Anambra on issue of climate change at Arewa House in Kaduna on Monday.
Garba Shehu, “If a candidate, like Peter Obi, confessed that he does not know anything about climate change in this 21st century and he wants to rule a nation of mostly young people who have future ahead of them, then its an appropriate and moral responsibility for him to step down right away!”
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Reacting to Garba, Okenwa said, “I was Peter Obi’s Commissioner for Environment when he was Governor and I can inform you that as Governor, Peter Obi spent heavily on Climate change management in the State. Erosion management and flood control, urban renewal activities, afforestation etc, received greatest attention.”
He continued, ‘Under Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) – a Federal Government, World Bank assisted Project, Anambra State was always ahead of others in meeting all her obligations. He revived tree planting and we were planting an average of 500,000 trees annually.”
He added that Peter Obi “created garden parks and beautified open spaces across the State including turning the notorious Upper Iweka roundabout into the largest park in the State. He created Environmental Marshals to police the State Environment and established Environmental Volunteer Corp (ENVOCORP) that recruited 55,000 Students as Environment Volunteers.”
Okenwa added that the era of the Labour Party presidential candidate “as Anambra State Governor was the golden moment for Anambra State Environment and Climate Change Management. I am sure as President he will replicate his successes in Anambra in all parts of Nigeria and even more.”
